Torture Fair
by Queen Angelblood
Summary: (AU) Living in the streets of Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke thinks he's hit rock bottom. But if you can't taste the dirt, you're not there yet. [Complete]
1. Insomnia on the Streets

Torture Fair   
  
(A/N: New story, same old plot. Have fun with it, if you will. A/U.   
  
WARNINGS: Yaoi, swearing, drug use, sex, heavy sexual references and violence, mucho OOC-ness. Read at your own risk.

Additional Note: Don't claim to know Japanese, but I know 'kitsune' supposedly means 'fox', and somewhere along the line, someone told me 'jin' meant something akin to 'people of'. So, the term 'kitsune-jin' would mean something roughly along the lines of 'people of the fox', or so I'm guessing. I'll be using the term whether it's right or wrong, so please bear with me, and if it is wrong, when I use it, I'm referring to people who have ancestors that evolved from foxes. Don't ask me how, 'cause I sure don't know.   
  
Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.  
  
Now, on with the story!)  
  
Chapter 1: Insomnia on the Street  
  
Sex and drugs, drugs and sex.   
  
That was the mantra inside his head; that was the rule of thumb he lived by.   
  
Fuck, that was how his whole family lived, repeating the mantra that gave them life, that made their lives a living nightmare.   
  
Sex and drugs, drugs and sex.   
  
It was the only way to live now in Konoha. If by offering sex and drugs to the world you could eat, you were a lot better off than most humans.   
  
Offering yourself up to be literally raped by the strangers that infiltrated his house at all hours of the day meant that you might get a piece of bread, or a slice of meat, or a piece of cheese, and fuck, you were doing good. You were fucking royalty. People should have been licking your feet.   
  
But they weren't. You were licking theirs.   
  
And if by selling the drugs that the addicts craved, that the stupid teenagers wanted to try and that the old men who lived in unfathomable poverty needed to drown their sorrows in, you got a roof over your head that didn't leak, you might as well have been living in a palace.   
  
That was how they lived. Sex and drugs, drugs and sex.   
  
That was what he knew. It was all he'd ever known. And now, he had to admit that it wasn't the best environment for a young, impressionable child. With too much pride to sell himself to a master and remain a slave for the rest of his meagre life, he found himself on the floor, pressed to the torn up mattress, with his back pressed to the wall as he struggled to survive. He wasn't sure which was the better alternative anymore.   
  
His family had long since disappeared, but their tradition held out in the last of their blood.   
  
He couldn't help but think back on it, what had forced them to live in desperation, and their utter desperation that destroyed them in the end.   
  
He was only a small child when it had happened, and all he really remembered was the fire and the blood that had been burned into his memory. He'd been too small to remember much more than a nonsensical blur.   
  
He'd been told that when the kitsune-jins had taken over, it had been violent, and it had been bloody. It had been a massacre, it had been a bloodbath. The fox-people swept in from the wild North lands where they had lived in savage barbarism for thousands of years while the humans became civilized.   
  
And while they were civilized, they grew weaker, until they could no longer defend themselves from the pillaging vandals who ransacked their village, burned it to the ground, raped their women, killed their warriors and forced men, women and children into bondage, then rebuilt the village from the ashes in their own fashion.   
  
The humans, once the rulers of their society, were forced to squirm and wriggle in the dirt of society to survive. They were turned out of their homes, sold to cruel kitsune-jin masters, with mothers and children, husbands and wives separated from each other.   
  
Those who weren't sold to slavery were out of jobs and soon, out of money. They roamed the streets, the fathers trying to find something to do, someway to pay their debts and feed the hungry mouths at home. And those hungry mouths were always multiplying, or so it seemed.   
  
And the stupidest thing they could have done was throw away what little money they did have on worthless things like sex and drugs. But that was what they did. They drowned their sorrows with alcohol, in mass amounts, and some of them became drunkards.   
  
Others dabbled with the worse chemicals - cocaine and heroin, morphine and other things that could be cultivated and sold to the masses. Those few human farmers who still worked the land began to cultivate these drugs, and the public just ate them up.   
  
It wasn't as if the kitsune-jins encouraged this type of behaviour, but their government did nothing to help the desperate poor, and did nothing to stop the drug epidemic within their city walls.   
  
Of course, as many of them had their hands blackened with sins as humans. They were lustful sinners, and they bought up whores off the street like they were going out of style. The poor kitsune-jins did it, the poor humans did it; the rich kitsune-jins did it.   
  
And that was how they made their money. That was how his family became so notorious. Once, they had been a well-respected human clan, but now, they were more like a giant prostitution ring than a family.   
  
Well, they had been.   
  
They had made their fortunes selling sex to the kitsune-jins, and drugs to the humans. They had systematised it, so well that it was almost scary. Children were attendants to the whores, until the age of twelve, when they themselves became whores, regardless of sex, and then, until the age of forty, when they turned to being drug dealers. Those who were ill, or injured, or pregnant were drug dealers, rather than whores, until such time as they could return to work.   
  
Women were sometimes merely nurses, to look after the whores because the customers were never, ever gentle.   
  
And of course, all good things come to an end, and the era of the Uchiha clan closed with a bang.   
  
When the new king had been crowned, he'd decreed that drugs and prostitution were illegal. He ordered the law-keepers to crack down on those who sold drugs, or sold sex, and to punish all those who bought either or.   
  
And that was what brought the family to their horrific end.   
  
The kitsune-jins got them, because they were so well-known, because they were so notorious. They were amongst the first to go. The whole family went down, in a bloody massacre, with the blades of the police swinging and singing, dazzling in the rum light with blood and silver mingling together.   
  
The house was burnt to the ground, and all corpses with it. Of course, they'd had the indecency to raid the dwelling beforehand and remove all its fortunes, and then spared him, for he'd been too young to have been involved in anything.  
  
They'd left him with nothing, and they'd said they were doing him a favour. Yes, some favour it was, where he'd had to beg and steal and suffer day to day for the last twelve years of his existence.   
  
He had no home, he had no food, he had no money and he had no status. He had nothing. At first, stealing had been easy. Hardly anybody, no matter how poor they were, could deny a small boy of five a slice of bread near five o'clock when he'd had nothing else to sate his appetite for the rest of the day.   
  
So, then, it hadn't really been stealing. If they caught him with it, they let him go, with a sort of sad small smile on their face and without a word. But as he got older, the gracious attitude had dissolved and become more bitter.   
  
It seemed that everybody could deny an eleven-year-old his daily bread. "Go away!" they cried, and their voices still rung in his ears. "We have five children! We can't afford to feed you too!"   
  
They told him to get a job and he could have nearly laughed at how ridiculous that was. He had no skills, he had no education and no money with which to obtain anything of the sort. He'd been raised in an environment of illicit activity and it was the only thing he knew.   
  
He'd also been raised with a stubborn pride and he refused to swallow it and sell himself to the shackles that so many other humans called master, just for a cup of water, a straw bed, a crust of stale bread and a leaky roof.   
  
So, without any alternative left to him, he returned to his roots.   
  
His body became the skill he used to earn his bread and it became the tool he used to keep the roof over his head patched. It became the thing he loved the most, and the thing he hated the most, because he had to work for the chicken-scratch he made, and even then, it was barely enough. He hated it, he hated it because it put him in pain and he was breaking down inside, but he couldn't help it, he needed the money.  
  
Drugs and sex. Sex and drugs. It was the only way of life in Konoha.  
  
And after he turned to sex for money, he turned to drugs to drown his sorrows.   
  
Dirty needles, and secret meetings in the alleys, with bags full of exotic powders to be snorted, pills to be ingested, liquids to be injected and rolls to be smoked became a staple in his life and before he realized it, he was falling down the spiralling tunnel to addiction.   
  
And he no longer felt hunger pains - he felt withdrawal pains, which were twenty times worse and left him curled in the fetal position for several days at a time, waiting for his fix. And during that draught, he had to face reality, and had to realize that he was letting complete strangers rape him and abuse him, just for a little cash, a little dope.   
  
It was eating him up inside and the drugs and the sex were starting to take hold of his body. And then he needed the drugs more, and more to forget why he hated himself and just do what he needed to do.   
  
He was thin, too thin, and he was pale and he never got enough sleep. He had bruises and bloody, infected wounds all over his body, and his hair straggled across his face. He was always dirty, no matter how many times he would wash if he could afford it. He never ate, and he was always in pain.   
  
He rarely went outside. When he did, people stared, they looked and they said things about him, and he was worrying more and more that they knew what he was doing and they were going to send for the cops to get him, and behead him, or whatever it was that they did nowadays to the ones who violated the laws set by the king.  
  
But, fuck, he wasn't his king. He wasn't a kitsune-jin, so why should he be bound by kitsune-jin law, and why should he bend and grovel to a royal son-of-a-bitch who did nothing to help him and by making illegal what he did to get by, force him to go even lower.   
  
They were talking right now. He barely listened to them, and he didn't care. He needed his fix and he was on his way to meet his dealers.   
  
"Heard he does..."   
  
"Lives up at..."  
  
Gossip. Didn't these people have anything better to do? No, they were too poor and the women sat in their yards pulling poor wool through their ancient spinning wheels, watching their dirty children play in the dirty yard as they gossiped with each other. Their clothes were patched, and they went barefoot, and their hair straggled around their faces in the heat, unwashed for what seemed like weeks.   
  
He walked on. They could say what they liked. He was going to get his dope, and then he was going to whore himself out to make up for the money he so freely gave away. Vicious, vicious circle, always came back and bit him in the ass, generally in the form of some new jackass who wanted to do god-knew-what with his body for a silver dime.   
  
A left here, and right here, and he was on his way, making a weaving pattern through the dirty, forgotten alleys which were full of rats and over-flowing trash bins. To the normal observer, it would have seemed that he had absolutely no clue where he was going - another lost soul in the streets of Konoha.   
  
But he knew where he was going, and the need inside his collapsing veins drew him back to them, like the divine light draws the holy back to the Father. He was anything but holy.   
  
And when he saw them, he dropped the cold, stoic mask he'd assumed while he walked through the streets, his ears having been assaulted with words he couldn't care about, and let a smirk fall into place on his lips.   
  
They looked at him, their eyes narrowed dangerously. Oh, they knew why he was there, and they knew who he was. He'd been here too many times for them not to know.   
  
He swung his hips as he walked, a little trick he'd learned from the aging female prostitutes, which drew men's glances downwards and away from their faces. When he did it, however, it wasn't to draw attention away from his face, but to draw attention to him as a whole. He knew full well that his face was pretty and effeminate. He knew that he could make his eyes burn with lust, and he knew he could look up through his bangs beseechingly, and he knew his nose curved just right, and he knew that his lips looked lush and oh-so-kissable.   
  
It was his body that was the problem. He was thin and moreover, he was male, which forced many men to scour the other dank alleys at night and ignore him. He had to do something which made him radiate sexual appeal, and swaying his hips as he walked was just one of the things he did to achieve that.  
  
They were still looking at him, their eyes unreadable. He just kept smiling and prayed his voice came out smooth and rich, like he wanted it to. "Hello, Gaara-san; Neji-san."  
  
He made sure the smile never faltered. Both males just looked at him, their eyes, green and white respectively, pinpointing him and trying to break him. He greeted their challenge, and stopped just a few feet from either of them.   
  
"Uchiha," Gaara said, his voice carrying no evidence of anything.  
  
Neji said nothing, his eyes still narrowed in a glower.   
  
He opened his mouth to continue, hoping to play them up with words like he usually did, until they were willing to just jab the needle into his arm and let him go. By the time he was done playing with them, they would have done anything for him.   
  
"You owe us money," Neji interrupted, seeing him poised for his game.  
  
He blinked and cocked his head to the side, looking as adorably pathetic as he could. "I do?" he asked innocently. "Well, can't you let it slide, just this once? For me?"   
  
He knew he was pouting, and he drew circles on the bare skin of Gaara's arm, near the elbow, then ran his hands up to rest on the red-head's shoulders.   
  
"You know how much I do for you. . ."  
  
Neji cut in. "You don't do anything for us, Uchiha, so shut your mouth. You owe us money, and we're going to get that money one way or another."  
  
Gaara looked over his shoulders, his gaze so cold that he quickly removed his hands from the other boy. "So, Uchiha, pay up, or you're not getting any."  
  
Desperation. Panic. They couldn't take it away from him, no, no, no! He felt frantic, as if he was on the edge of something he couldn't be pulled back from.   
  
"You know very well I don't have the money to put a roof over my head, let alone pay you. But, nevertheless, what do I owe you?"  
  
He was getting snarly now, which wasn't good, because if he'd been more like honey, they might have let him away with it.   
  
"A lot," was all that Gaara said, refusing to make final how much he was indebted to them.   
  
Neji smirked. "So, you can pay up, or you're not getting any until we've got all our money back and then some."  
  
What did these two think he was? Rich? He had told them, he didn't have the money to feed himself, to cloth himself, or to house himself, let alone pay off drug debts. He had the sinking feeling that his were unbearable.   
  
"How do you want me to get the money?" he asked, well aware that his tone was becoming more and more angry.   
  
Gaara smiled at him. "Oh, just the way you make all your money, Uchiha. But you're not going to see a cent of it until you've paid off all your debts."  
  
He snorted and looked at them bitterly. "And how long will that be?"  
  
"A while," Neji told him. "You're about ten thousand dollars in debt, and we hear that you only get a dime for every go."  
  
He paled. "That means -"  
  
"You're fucked either way."  
  
Both found this incredibly hysterical, considering his profession was, indeed, getting fucked.   
  
"And you ain't gettin' a drop of this stuff 'til you're all evened up, ya understand?" Neji taunted, dangling a paper bag in front of him and he almost wanted to grab it and run with it.   
  
Gaara clapped him on the back. "Aw, c'mon now. It ain't gonna be so bad. It's what ya do anyways, whore."  
  
He laughed.   
  
Tch. Not so bad, indeed. He'd obviously never been slammed up against the crumbling brick of a building, and splattered it with blood, from the back of his head, or his face as some dumb fuck rammed his cock into his body over and over again, until he finished and dropped him, then threw him a measly dime. He'd obviously never had nothing more to do than anticipate the next one, and he'd never had to control himself to make sure he never screamed, never cried, never bolted and never begged to be spared.   
  
Tch. A piece of cake, really.   
  
And as his blood dribbled down that goddamn wall, he made sure it dribbled down his chin as well, keeping himself silent as he was broken up again.   
  
He was thrown back a final time, and the man bit his shoulder, hard, to keep from crying out. If he did, the cops might find them, and besides, you weren't supposed to enjoy a whore.   
  
He slid down the wall, feeling the world spin and shake before his dizzy vision. He felt sick, and wouldn't have been surprised if his body wasn't shutting down on him. Dully, he heard the man make a dry comment, and the dull clink of metal on cement, signifying he'd been paid.   
  
He scrambled to find it, because if he didn't, he might loose it and it meant one more time he'd have to put up with the torture. He'd lost all his profit one night down the sewer when he tripped and fell, and he'd had nothing to show for it, but a bunch of bruises, and one more night of this.  
  
He was out there, every night, for nearly eight hours, and it was becoming a real job. He knew that men in factories worked eight hours, daily, and now, so did he. The men in the factories often saw their paycheck for a fleeting moment, and then it was gone. His followed suit.   
  
His back ached, and his body was so torn up inside that he was sure he was going to die from blood loss. The crimson stuff never stopped dribbling out of his abused asshole. Bruises adorned his whole body, and he wouldn't have been surprised if one day he snapped in half, because he was so thin and frail.   
  
Worst of all, the withdrawal pains had come back, sometimes so viciously that all he could do was curl up, with his knees to his chest and scream and cry. Once or twice, he'd sent himself into convulsions, for a painful half-an-hour at least.   
  
He didn't sleep, he didn't eat, and he wasn't getting better.   
  
Gaara almost thought it was funny. He was the sadist of the two, and he thought that seeing the last of the Uchihas on his knees in pain, and need was funny. He had no sympathy for his pain, and if he was choking on his own blood, Gaara merely kicked him in the stomach, hard, until the blood came pouring out of his mouth.   
  
Neji was little better. He only cared that he gave him whatever he'd earned on the street that night and then, that he was out of his sight for the remainder of the time.   
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
  
The night was dark, and it was deep. The cobblestone was crooked from upheaval over the years as he walked across it. The light from the lamps was warm and yellow, if not faint and flickering in the wind.   
  
He stopped in front of one of the old store fronts, and pushed open the rotting door. Lamp-light from the windows flooded out into the street.   
  
Inside the shop, it was busy, and it was loud. Humans crowded all together at small tables, laughing and chatting with each other. Drained glasses sat in swarms on the table. Waitresses meandered to and fro, serving the already drunk with more alcohol.   
  
He made his way to the bar, making sure his hood stayed low over his head and eyes. He sat down on a vacant stool, folding his arms neatly across each other. Underneath his hood, his ears twitched, trying to find out what he could pick up from these peasants tonight.   
  
The bar-tender, still wiping down a glass, found his way over to him and asked him what he wanted. What he ordered, he didn't know and he didn't care, still trying to find someone who was gossiping.   
  
The drink arrived and he lifted it to his lips, drinking the bitter brew without caring.   
  
A loud round of laughter broke out at one of the tables and, just like everyone else in the bar, he turned to look at the rowdy bunch. One of the humans was sprawled across the lap of another human, pawing and raking, like a female animal in heat.   
  
He snorted and turned away. Who knew humans were so disgusting?   
  
"Holy shit! If you're that horny man, go find a slut!"  
  
His ears twitched. Maybe this was the lead he was waiting for. Who knew drunks were good for something?  
  
"Yeah, if you need a slut, there's one down on Fourth Street."  
  
Laughter ensued.   
  
"Only a dime, sure you're family won't miss it too much!"   
  
"Right pretty little fucker too."  
  
More laughter.   
  
He found himself smiling. He placed his money on the counter and rose slowly. He turned to leave.  
  
He was going to find this so called prostitute. After all, as a member of the kitsune-jin special forces, it was his job to seek out and destroy those who engaged in illicit activity.   
  
He looked at the street signs, trying to find out how to get to Fourth Street. He'd been to this part of town only once or twice, rarely wanting to engage in any contact with humans. He found the creatures disgusting, rude and unruly.   
  
Of course, he'd been raised to view them that way. The helpless poor who lined the streets were there because they were human and it was unwritten law that kitsune-jins were the natural masters of humans.   
  
Humans were bad. They lived in small shacks, filled with lice and disease. They rarely washed. They often died from disease. He never stopped to think that it was because they couldn't afford to help themselves.   
  
They begged for food, and they took up drugs and sex. They never once sought a job, though if they had, they would have been ruthlessly been turned out for seeking employment.   
  
He sniffed the air, and listened. The scent of blood was on the air, and faintly, he heard the grunts and cries that signalled an act of mating. Following his inherited senses, he went left down the street, walking at a slow and steady pace, to make sure that none saw a quicker escape.   
  
He passed a harem of whores in an alley way, all who sought his attention, and clamoured for his money.   
  
"Darling, darling! Over here!"  
  
"Out of the way, Nas! I saw him first! You-who, hot stuff!"  
  
He paused for a second, throwing them a bland look. He looked away, a smirk crossing his features. "You have five minutes to clear off this space or face trial in a court of law for engaging in illicit activities."  
  
Their words died on their lips and they stared at him. He looked at them, his eyes blazing with anger. "Get moving!"  
  
They scattered, like leaves on the wind. He kept walking.  
  
Finally, he reached Fourth Street. With no sign that the whore he was seeking was here, he kept walking, carefully scanning every alley he passed.   
  
As he rounded the corner which took him back onto North Street, he found what he was looking for.   
  
He drew a little closer, watching with interest as the brutality that was more like rape than willing exchange of sex for money occurred.  
  
The big brute of a man held his little whore against the wall, and fucked her, fucked her like there was no tomorrow. He was disgusted.   
  
He could smell the blood, and he faintly heard the noises dying on her lips. He almost winced when bone and flesh connected with the brick of the abandoned building she was leaning against.  
  
And in a flash, it was all over, and the man dropped his whore and his money, a single silver dime. "You're not worth what they charge for you," he growled, and then he turned and walked away.   
  
The whore scrambled for her money, clutching it as if it was the sole thing on earth that could save her.   
  
He was suddenly confused.  
  
The whore stood up, and instead of pulling her skirts down, hiked up the pair of pants she'd been wearing. The money wasn't dropped down her bosom, but placed in a small bag, which was tied about her ankle.  
  
Most curious of all, the whore's chest was completely flat, and her hips were straight. In fact, she looked more like a he.   
  
That puzzled him. Why would anyone pay for a female that looked like a man? It didn't make sense.   
  
The whore ran a hand through her tangled hair, which he noted was short and dark - more like a boy's cut than a woman's. She winced, then made her way to the curbside, checking left and right.   
  
She saw him. Her slanted black eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. Her pale face became more washed out, like the moon. And for a brief second, he thought for sure it was Uchiha Itachi, who had somehow escaped from Orochimaru - yet again.   
  
That passed when he realized that this person was too young, and too short to be Itachi, and also, far thinner and more haggard looking. Itachi's hair was longer, something he'd forgotten briefly.   
  
This whore also lacked the slave's trademark scars, that ran beneath his eyes.   
  
"You there," he said, feeling the silence had gone on long enough.   
  
She shook her head and looked around, as if she wanted to leave. He walked quickly toward her. "What are you doing here, in the middle of the night?"  
  
There was no response, save for her trying to run away. Not one for letting his quarry go, he tackled her to the ground, effectively pinning her there, no matter how hard she struggled. He grabbed one of the slender arms and twisted it back, being reward with a whimper of submission.  
  
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"  
  
"I'm quite sure you know," was the decidedly brash reply, in the decidedly male voice.   
  
"State your name."  
  
"It's none of your business."  
  
"What's your profession?"  
  
"I have none."  
  
He was growing exasperated. "I suggest you answer these questions truthfully, or you'll be going straight to hell, courtesy of the kitsune-jin Elite Forces."  
  
"Kitsune-jin Elite Forces, huh! They can kiss my ass, for all I care!"  
  
He suppressed the whore, forcing her head down to the ground. "Please, just answer the questions. I don't want to hurt have to hurt you."  
  
"You don't want to? Ha! Fucking liar! That's just why you murder all those prostitutes!"  
  
"You're next if you don't shut up," he growled, digging his heels into the whore's sides.   
  
He let her up. She snarled and dusted herself off and that was about the point where he stopped referring to her as she, because this was definitely a boy.   
  
"Excuse me for living," was the snarky reply.   
  
"Excuse me as well, then. Now, if you'd just answer my questions -"  
  
"Why should I? You're not my elder, you're no authority over me, kitsune-jin."  
  
He slapped the slut, then, unable to bear the rudeness that just rolled off of him in waves. How dare a human talk to him such!   
  
The midnight-haired boy stumbled back, clutching an already bruised cheek.   
  
"State your name," he growled through gritted teeth.   
  
". . .Uchiha Sasuke."  
  
"What's your business here?"  
  
This answer took a little longer. He waited, unsure if the boy was trying to formulate an accurate lie, or at the very least, a good cover story.   
  
". . .I'm. . .selling my body," was the reply he finally heard.  
  
"You do know that prostitution is illegal in Konoha?"  
  
". . .yes. . ."  
  
"Then you do know that you're under arrest for engaging in illegal activities?"  
  
There was no response. "You...can't," was the final, weak protest.  
  
He quirked an eyebrow. "Can't I now?"  
  
"No! You can't!" The other boy was vehement now. "I've gotta pay the money back! They'll have me dead if I don't!"   
  
"We'll have you dead if you don't follow orders. Now, why do you owe people money?"  
  
"Drugs!" he blurted before he could stop himself, then realized that he'd just sealed his own fate by saying that.   
  
"Drugs too? Well, now there's no way I can let you go."  
  
Stupefied, the dark-haired one let himself be hauled to his feet. Before he could register anything, his hands were bound and a lead had been placed about his neck, choking him.   
  
Sex and drugs, drugs and sex.   
  
Vicious, vicious little circle, always came back and bit him in the ass.

- - - - - - - - -- - - -

[A/N: Eh heh. Review?]


	2. Chains

(A/N: Thanks for the reviews!   
  
Junsui-san: I'm glad you like the story, despite its nature. And here I was, freaking out over what people might say. . .  
  
AquaHawk-04: I'm glad you like the story, and think it is 'original'. I personally know I'm drawing elements from other stories [which are too numerous to name].   
  
BishieHuggler: Yes, yes. Same pairings. There probably will be a smidgen of romance in here, but it's probably going to be more sex on a carnal level, than on the emotional one. And you're right with your psychoanalysis - I am a sadist that likes to torture Sasuke. But I also wanted to change around the typical 'lower random race of people versus higher up human race' story. I'm glad you liked it. It took me forever to figure out how I was gonna pull this one off.   
  
SeOsiris: I'm glad you like the fic thus far.   
  
Mister Pineapple: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.   
  
Iceheart19: I'm glad you liked it. I've never heard of Elvenbane, but I might have to read it. . .  
  
Watermelon Gal: I looooove angst. I'm glad you liked the story.   
  
CelUnknown: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.   
  
teckno: I'm glad you like the story. =)  
  
ePuiChi: I'm glad you liked the story, and I agree with you completely about Sasuke's character. He's harder to write. He's certainly an angst case, but not to the point of self-pity. In fact, I'm not at all happy with how I wrote most of the characters in this. Oh well, I'll call it artistic license for now, but I'll work on Sasuke. If there's any other glaring problems, feel free to let me know.   
  
Nocturne's Requiem: Wow. I'm glad you're so...adamant about how much you like the story. =)   
  
Yuen-chan: I know it's depressing. And it probably won't get much happier. Sorry.   
  
YukaYuka: ::offers you a cookie:: . Yes...the officer is Naruto. . .But don't tell anyone else! =)   
  
I think now that I've gotten you all hooked, I feel bad, so I'm going to let you know this now: the story will involve some mpreg [male pregnancy for those of you who don't know]. It's not going to be the sole backbone of the story, but will probably play an intricate role. If you're at all uncomfortable with the thought, refrain from reading, or if you must, don't flame. Constructive criticism is much better.   
  
Warnings for this chapter: Probably some badly used Japanese suffixes, more OOCness, especially on Sasuke's part, talk of drug use, swearing, sexual references, and I think that's it.  
  
Now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 2: Chains  
  
"Uzumaki-sama?"  
  
Hearing his name, the blond boy, no more than sixteen, turned around, looking at his elder, yet inferior officer.   
  
Hatake Kakashi's one visible eye looked up at him lazily, in the trademark bored expression only geniuses seemed to wear. "May I have a word with you?"  
  
He merely nodded and followed the silver-haired one. It wasn't as though Kakashi was old - far from it, only turning thirty just prior to the blond turning sixteen - but rather, this was his natural hair colour.   
  
He walked down the corridor slightly ahead of the younger officer, hands jammed in his pockets, seemingly completely calm. The blond, however, knew something was up. Kakashi, the leading general of the kitsune-jin army, elite forces and special unit, did not just ask to 'have a word' with anybody over nothing. No, not even with the prince.   
  
Yes, that was right. The blond creature was the next heir to the throne of kitsune-jin Konoha. His name was Uzumaki Naruto, the son of the great Yondaime (the fourth king of kitsune-jin Konoha. The dynasty hadn't even lasted fifty years yet and they'd already been through four kings. Go figure).   
  
Naruto was not at all the image fitting of a prince. First off, he was short. Secondly, he looked more like a boy who had yet to hit puberty, rather than one who had already been through it. His face was still round, like a child's, and his unruly blond hair and his large, wide blue eyes didn't help that image. He was hoping that he was merely a late bloomer and would become more regal and king-like, as his father was, within the next few years.  
  
Third, and foremost, Naruto did not act like a prince. He was loud, he was rude, he was ever attention-seeking, he had no manners and his favourite hobby was pulling pranks. Still, he was the prince and everyone respected him as such, and he pleased his father to no end.   
  
Kakashi stopped rather abruptly, in the corridor, just before the hall gave way to the jail cells for those who had been caught by the special forces unit. The florescent lights overhead buzzed and Naruto suddenly knew that all those jail films had actually been filmed in a jail.   
  
"About the one you brought in last night," Kakashi was saying, when he decided to clue in again.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did you find out what he was addicted to? 'Cause he's pretty bad in there. . ."  
  
Kakashi trailed off and turned his attention to the cells, where some poor sap was singing and banging his cup against the bars of his cell. He'd been in there for god-knew how long, before Naruto ever was assigned to the special forces, and Naruto now supposed it was enough to drive one batty.   
  
Kakashi turned back to him and he shook his head, his blond bangs scattering over his face. "Nope, ain't got a clue. Think it was something bad, Chief?"  
  
He called Kakashi 'chief', merely to recognize that while he was here, Kakashi was his superior, royal blood or no royal blood.   
  
Kakashi looked like he was in thought, which was a rare sight. It wasn't that Kakashi didn't think, but rather, he thought without effort.   
  
"He said he was part of the Uchiha clan, didn't he? Huh, I thought we took care of them a long time ago. . ."  
  
Kakashi had been his father's general when he'd first been coronated, and though Naruto didn't really remember it, he'd heard of the massacres against drug rings and prostitution rings. The Uchiha one had been the one that everyone remembered, merely because the family had been very large and very infamous for what they'd done.   
  
Kakashi was looking back toward the cells. "Huh, it figures. Itachi, he had to fight for his life, and this one...Well, I bet he's the one we let go, and lookit him now. Just goes to show you, habits are hard to break."  
  
Kakashi looked back at Naruto, who was merely looking at him stupidly. "Go talk to him. See what you can get out of him. I'll see if I can find anything out from the other one."  
  
Naruto nodded, knowing that by "the other one", Kakashi meant Itachi.   
  
With a suppressed shudder, the blond prince wandered into the cell area. Some of the prisoners called out to him, wanting to know his name, his number. They wanted to know what day it was, what time it was, when the next meal was, when that bastard Kakashi was coming back. Some of them didn't say anything. Some of them were singing like the man in the first cell on the right.   
  
Naruto ignored them and walked right by. He walked down, to the far end of the hall, listening to the prisoners scream at him.   
  
He stopped at the furthest cell from the door. He fished around for the key, then entered the cell. He slid the door shut, then sat down on the edge of the rotting cot.   
  
The prisoner glared up at him with murderous eyes. Obviously, he'd not wanted to be interrupted. "What do you want?" His tone was as dangerous as his eyes.  
  
"I want to talk to you."  
  
The boy sat up, his teeth looking blanch white in the dark of the cell. His dark eyes snapped with anger beneath his mussed hair. "I think you did enough talking last night. So, you can leave."  
  
The boy rolled over and pulled the thread-bare blanket over his form. Naruto looked at the wall and saw that there was some mould forming. "So...you said your name was Uchiha Sasuke?"  
  
He received a grunt in reply. "So, Sasuke, what kind of drugs were you doing?"  
  
"What does it matter?"  
  
He grabbed one of the boy's arms and looked at it intently, studying the various marks. There were bruises, and cuts, which were obviously not from drugs, but from his line of work, but there were funny little track marks, which ran up and down his arms to meet the apocalypse of wounds, a crater-sized wound, that was circled with black, probably from infection and bruising. Naruto looked at the boy, who was looking at the wound dully.   
  
"Morphine? Heroin? What?"  
  
" . . .Heroin," the dark-haired boy said, almost in shame.   
  
Naruto made a soft noise. Heroin was powerfully addictive, and terribly expensive. It was little wonder Sasuke had hauled himself into debt with seemingly such ease.   
  
He rubbed the wound absently, making Sasuke wince and try to pull away. "Did I wake you up?" he asked after a moment, wondering why the black-haired creature was in such a foul mood. It never occurred to him that it was because Sasuke had gone without drugs for a while, was in withdrawal and was in prison to boot.   
  
"No," Sasuke mumbled, turning over again.   
  
"Did you sleep at all?"  
  
The dark-haired one shook his head, keeping his eyes down. "Don't sleep," he muttered. He failed to state why.  
  
"Why?" was Naruto's next question.  
  
Sasuke heaved a tired sigh and murmured, "Nightmares."  
  
Naruto understood, not entirely, but he vaguely recalled Kakashi's words and no doubt life had been hard on the human who was pitiful in front of him.   
  
He felt slightly sick to his stomach. Why did he feel so...worried about this stupid human? Humans were disgusting, and this was a prime example. He was filled with drugs, from dirty needles, and disease from sex. He didn't eat and he didn't sleep, and he reeked of sex and sweat and blood. He probably hadn't bathed in months.   
  
Sasuke shuddered and turned over, and Naruto suddenly became aware that the prisoner was crying. Hesitantly, not wanting to touch the filth-ridden thing, he placed his hand on a shaking shoulder and became aware of just how thin Sasuke was.   
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice being a little more cold than he had wanted. His thoughts were still all wrapped up in being disgusted and his voice reflected it.   
  
Sasuke shook his head and rubbed a bony wrist across his face, as if trying to dry his tears. Slowly, Naruto removed his hand.   
  
He watched in silence as Sasuke's crying became more apparent, and he curled up, with his knees to his chest. His shoulders shook roughly and he bit his lip hard.   
  
Naruto, however, could think of nothing to say to the human boy, and he rose, ready to leave. Honestly, he didn't need to hang around with dirty, rude humans all day.   
  
Just as he was sliding the door back, he deciphered words from beneath all of Sasuke's sniffling.  
  
"....stay.....hurts...."  
  
Naruto turned back and looked at Sasuke. "What hurts?" he asked.  
  
". . .everything. .," was the whiny reply.  
  
Naruto sat back down, only to be bombarded with angry thoughts. Why did he care?! He found himself stroking the human's tousled hair. Sasuke pushed up into his touch and whined more. Naruto continued to pet him, uncertain as to why he continued to touch the filthy thing.   
  
Sasuke coughed and rolled over, curling up even more. The ragged blanket became twisted about him and for the first time, Naruto could see the cuts and bruises, and all of the boy's skeletal features.   
  
"Don't you eat?" Naruto asked, abruptly and Sasuke coughed again, then shook his head.   
  
"Why not?" Naruto asked, curious as to why someone would starve themselves.   
  
"Money," came the weak reply.   
  
Naruto looked at him, surprised. "Bread isn't that expensive! It's only a dime a slice -"   
  
"Makes me sick," the dark-haired human replied, sounding almost amused.   
  
Naruto frowned. "So, why don't you just buy milk or something that doesn't make you sick?"  
  
This time, Sasuke did laugh - bitterly. He looked at the blond, eyes blazing. "Do you know how much a cup of that stuff costs?! Four and a half dollars, four and a half! And a litre, do you know what a litre costs? Seven dollars. Seven fucking dollars! Someone like me doesn't have that kind of money!"   
  
Naruto snorted. "Yet you have money for drugs."  
  
How pathetic really, that the human low-lives were more apt to spend money they didn't have on drugs, something they didn't need, than food.   
  
Sasuke shook his head. "I could get it, without paying for it. For free, in a way. Didn't need the money for it right then and there. Stuff...food, you've always got pay for it, right then and there. No giveaways there."  
  
He sprawled out on the cot, and for the first time, he looked to the blond like the courtesan he was supposed to be. He sighed heavily. "No money, no education, no food, no home, no family and no status."  
  
He smiled, almost sadly. "I've got nothing."  
  
Absently, he rubbed his shrunken stomach, then sighed again and rolled over, wincing. The blond had long since removed his hand from him. His stomach growled and began to chew on itself again. He closed his eyes and curled up, feeling a familiar weakness spreading through his limbs.   
  
The blond said nothing to him for a long time, and it was just before he plunged into sleep that he realized his inquisitor was gone. He plummeted into unrestful slumber.  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
"So, what did you find out?"  
  
"Not much," Kakashi returned. "Itachi didn't say much, except that he did, in fact, have a younger brother named Sasuke."  
  
Naruto looked thoughtful. After a minute or so, he said, "I want him put up at the palace."  
  
Kakashi's visible eye widened ever so slightly and his voice was incredulous. "You what?" he cried, causing a few of the workers to stop and look at the normally reserved Special Forces Captain.  
  
Naruto glowered, as best as his wide eyes would let him. "You heard me."  
  
Kakashi couldn't believe what Naruto was saying. Of course, the blond boy was irrational, and sometimes clinically insane, but the elder kitsune-jin had never thought that Naruto had a death wish. "You want to invite a known criminal - a whore, a drug addict, and a human, into your home, the imperial palace?"  
  
Feeling slightly sheepish, now that Kakashi had been so blunt with him, he nodded. Kakashi sighed, deciding he'd better try to talk Naruto out of suicide before he jumped head first off the cliff. "Your father wouldn't allow it."  
  
Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Of course he'll allow it!"  
  
He spoke with a confidence he didn't feel, because he had no idea how his father would react. Kakashi seemed to sense this and rolled his eye. "Whatever. If that's what you want, you can deal with him."  
  
There. He'd tried. Nobody ever said Kakashi was persistent, never mind as persistent as Naruto was. The blond kitsune-jin smiled at him. "By the way, Kakashi, can you summon Hyuuga Hinata for me?"  
  
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Hyuuga Hinata was of the famed Hyuuga clan, the head of the house and the wife of the local kitsune-jin lord, Inuzuka Kiba. "Why?" he asked, feeling nervous at the young prince's request.   
  
Naruto's smile, devilish to cover up his flustered self, grew even wider. "I need someone to nurse the human."  
  
Kakashi nearly fell over. "Naruto! Are you insane?! Inuzuka won't allow it! Your father won't allow it!"  
  
Naruto laughed and started to walk away. "Well, I'm off to see my father. Summon Hinata for me, Kakashi."  
  
He gave his elder a little wave, then walked off, laughing lightly. Kakashi sighed.   
  
- - - - - - - - -   
  
"So, brat, you're home."  
  
"Yes, old hag, I am," Naruto said, greeting his grandmother, who smiled and shook her head at the insult. It wasn't an uncommon thing for them to insult each other.  
  
Tsunade was a kitsune-jin, and a powerful warrior as well. She was blonde, though her hair was less wild than Naruto's. She was also buxom, which was probably why his grandfather had married her in the first place. She looked to be no older than thirty, but she was just on the verge of fifty. Still, she was young for the grandmother of a sixteen-year old, but that was how the kitsune-jin monarchy needed to operate.   
  
"So, the brat's home?"  
  
His grandfather meandered into the room. Jiraiya looked his age, unlike his wife. His wild mess of hair had gone a silver-gray and his bronzed face was beginning to sag. He'd been the younger brother of the Sandaime, the third kitsune-jin king of Konoha. The Sandaime had inherited the throne merely because he was the elder child. However, when he'd passed on, his only child had been a girl, whereas Jiraiya had a son. Thus, Jiraiya's son had become the Yondaime. The Sandaime's daughter had a son, Konohamaru, who was younger than Naruto.   
  
Naruto grinned at his grandparents. "Where's my dad?"  
  
"Upstairs, brat," Tsunade said, then proceeded to slap Jiraiya for staring at her boobs.   
  
Naruto dashed away to the upstairs. He found his father sitting in his study, reading over several new bills to be passed. Naruto cleared his throat and the Yondaime looked up at him. Blue eyes met blue eyes, blond hair obscuring both sets.  
  
"Can I help you, son?" the Yondaime asked, his manner calm and relaxed, yet stiff and business-like all the same.   
  
Naruto looked, and felt nervous. His father was generally a gentle man, but he had no idea how he'd react to this. "Um, yes, Father, I need to talk to you..."  
  
The Yondaime continued to look at his son, his unwavering gaze filled with curiosity. Why had his son suddenly become so bashful and quiet, when normally he was so brazen and brash?   
  
Naruto felt a nervous smile force his lips to curve up. "I want to bring someone to the palace...A house guest of sorts."  
  
The Yondaime smiled, and his smile, unlike Naruto's, was gentle and pleased. "Your potential bride, I assume?"  
  
Naruto felt as though he was letting his father down. He could see the satisfaction and pride in the man's eyes. "No," he murmured, feeling quite guilty. "A boy. A human boy."  
  
His father's expression changed suddenly, from happy to angry. "A human?!" he roared, rising from his seat. "In my house?! Are you insane boy?! I won't allow it!"   
  
Naruto frowned. "Why not?! Give me a good reason!"  
  
"Humans are disgusting! They're low-lives, not fit to even set foot inside my home!"   
  
"Father!" Naruto cried, feeling anger rising in his own veins. "He'll die without proper treatment!"  
  
"Then so be it! It will be one less of the wretched things to line my streets and beg for bread!"   
  
"Father!" the blond cried, desperation taking hold. He'd never heard his father speak so harshly, and he wished to change the man's words into softer ones. He had no idea why he was fighting so hard on behalf of a human though.   
  
"He'll die! Please! You can't let him die, knowing there was something you could do to help!"   
  
The blond man looked at his son, his eyes blazing. "I should let him die and I won't give a damn about what I could have done! I won't be guilty over the death of some human!"  
  
Naruto, feeling too angry to continue, cried angrily, "I'll bring him here, no matter what you say! I won't let him die, not without trying to help him first!"   
  
And he turned and stormed out of the room, his father hollering after him, "Naruto!"  
  
He ran down the stairs, nearly knocking Tsunade over in his haste. Tsunade stared after the streak of orange that was her grandson for a moment, then continued up the stairs to see what all the yelling was about. She poked her head into the study.   
  
Her son's eyes screamed murder. "Bring that brat back here!"   
  
He charged by his mother, storming downstairs. "Where'd that whelp get to?"  
  
Jiraiya merely looked at his son blankly and pointed. The Yondaime of Konoha took off in the specified direction.   
  
- - - - - - - -  
  
"Gimme a hand here, Kakashi."  
  
"No. I've got no part in this,"  
  
"Please?" Naruto asked, trying to look beseechingly at his elder.  
  
Sasuke watched them with vague interest. He supposed they were moving him to another (darker, damper) cell, where he would wait until his hearing. Naruto was trying to lift him up now and he tried to push the kitsune-jin away. He smelled funny - like heavy perfumes and riches - and Sasuke would be killed before he let himself be carried anywhere by anyone.   
  
"I can walk," he growled and forced Naruto to let him down, only to stumbled and need support from the blond kitsune-jin who seemed so genuinely concerned about him that it was disgusting.  
  
He'd forgotten how much pain it caused him to walk, for days, and even weeks after his encounters with his clients. Lying stagnant for a day or two had allowed the torture he'd subjected his body to catch up with him, and he ached with every movement.   
  
Naruto was close to him again and he wrinkled his nose, hating the scent of those exotic perfumes he must have bathed in - the scent seemed to be entwined with his skin. Lavender, jasmine, and other exotics clung to the kitsune-jin.   
  
Sasuke was well aware he reeked of blood and sweat, and filth; nothing overly pleasant. At first, he'd not been able to bear the scent of his own blood, when he'd first started this whole fiasco, but now he was so used to it, he barely noticed.   
  
However, recently, he'd been basically bathed in the crimson liquid and it was making him nauseous. His limbs felt weak and he had no choice but to at least rest up against the kitsune-jin. He noticed then that Naruto's nose was crinkled.  
  
Feeling almost insulted, Sasuke pushed away, and tried to walk away, only to fall and land on his ass - hard. The cold cement floor beneath him was no saviour and it sent the pain reverberating throughout him, forcing tears into his eyes. He felt as if he was being torn open again.   
  
The silver-haired man merely rolled his eyes at the pathetic human, as Naruto tried to help him up. He utterly refused the blond's help and shoved himself away, this time managing to make his way across the floor, till he stood near the doorway. The door had been left open, and had he any strength, he would have bolted.   
  
It was then that he realized he was wearing almost naught but the shreds of the clothes he'd been wearing when they'd taken him in. His shirt had been taken away, not that it had been much to begin with, and now, the cold air of the cell had cause his nipples to stand pert. His shorts were tattered and stained with blood, but again, they had been short and pretty much useless to begin with.   
  
Aside from that, he was nude in front of the two kitsune-jins, and he was well aware that his shorts clung to and outlined his manhood, and bunched up around his ass. A rush of blood to his face made his pale skin turn pink and he was blushing.   
  
The silver-haired one started to laugh. "You're going to take that thing home, Naruto?! Are you that desperate?"  
  
The blond glared at him, and Sasuke lowered his head to allow his bangs to cover his face. He couldn't help it; after all, sex had been his profession and he wasn't that well-off to afford new clothes every once in a while.   
  
"I'm not desperate at all, Kakashi," the blond retorted nastily, and peeking out from under his bangs, Sasuke could see the sharp canines hidden inside the kitsune-jin's mouth. His whole face was crinkled in a snarl. "If I wanted I could have my pick of the litter, and you know it. At least I could actually get some if I tried, unlike you."  
  
Kakashi seemed to take offense from this and sniffed, "My books are good literature."  
  
"Huh!" the other exclaimed. "They're filth! I should know - my grandfather wrote them!"   
  
"And that just proves that lewdness runs in your veins," Kakashi concluded triumphantly.   
  
Naruto stuck his nose up in the air. "I have no need or want of a whore, Kakashi. This is a religious matter. I'm saving my soul by doing a good deed, unlike you, who wouldn't stop to help a dying whelp."  
  
Kakashi rolled his eyes, knowing full-well that Naruto was anything and everything but religious. "And which god do you plan on having save your soul?"  
  
Naruto stared at him blankly. "Uuuuhhhh....There's more than one god?" he asked, stupidly.  
  
Kakashi sighed. "Yes, Naruto. There is a whole pantheon of them."  
  
Naruto blinked and said, "Oh." He'd only thought there was the one god, Kyuubi, whom his family perpetually worshipped and made the family patron.   
  
Kakashi sighed and rolled his eyes again. He knew Naruto was bluffing. Still, the kitsune-jin prince seemed hell-bent on having the human wretch brought up to his home.   
  
It was just then that, like a bat out of hell, the Yondaime stormed into the cells, his white robes billowing behind him, and his eyes like blue fire. As he tore through the narrow corridor, prisoners clawed at him, either screaming terrible curses upon him, or beseeching this supposed saint for deliverance. He shoved them all aside, and with such force that the brittle bones broke.  
  
He stopped in front of the open cell, his robes swirling about him. He grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt and glared at him, their faces almost touching. Even from a distance, one could feel the rage roiling off of him in heated waves.   
  
"You," he growled and Naruto could feel the heat of his father's breath, and see the saliva dripping from his chops.   
  
He was sure he didn't know this creature. He seemed almost rabid, like a demon possessed him and he could tear Naruto limb from limb if he so desired. The younger boy broke out into an uneasy, cold sweat.   
  
The Yondaime of Konoha looked up suddenly and he saw the prisoner. He threw his son away and advanced on the hapless human, still snarling like a man possessed. "You," he growled, pointing a finger at the creature, who seemed undaunted.  
  
Sasuke watched the older kitsune-jin with impassive eyes. He really didn't care at this point what was done to him. After all, what did it matter? He was worthless, and completely useless too. His body needed to be pumped full of drugs, and all sorts of other things, to block the memories, and the need of himself.   
  
Old habits die hard.   
  
His body seemed to act on its own, remembering the ritualistic dance it used to dance when dealing with raging, seething men. When the Yondaime's hand clenched about his neck, he leaned back a bit, pressing the rest of his frail, thin self to the man's body, and thus, removing himself from direct danger. He sought to entwine himself with the other, and his body continued the dance.   
  
The three kitsune-jins in the room blinked stupidly as the human boy nuzzled and ground his way past the Yondaime's stupefied defences. Only when the kitsune-jin male returned to his senses did he realize what was happening.   
  
He threw the whore from himself, turning to sneer to his son, "Do you really want that thing in our house?"  
  
Naruto stared and said nothing. At last, with eyes full of rage, he turned and walked away, storming out of the cell, like his father had entered. The Yondaime followed him, without so much as a glance back. Kakashi, however, sneered at the human sprawled on the floor, "Slut," before slamming the cell door shut.   
  
Sasuke lay on the cold, damp floor, his eyes downcast, thinking. 


	3. The Eternal White

(A/N: Thanks for 30 reviews!  
  
SeOsiris: I'm glad you like the story. And don't worry, Sasuke's in good hands now. Or so we think.   
  
Genrou chan: I'm glad you like the story so much. Updates shouldn't take too long, as long as I keep moving on this, because some of it is pre-written. I could have posted chapters one through five at once, if I so desired, but then everybody'd have to wait a long time for the next update. =3   
  
pdonyin: I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  
  
ePuiChi: I'm glad you like my imagery. And I think Naruto is the only character I can somewhat write in character. - - And yes, Kakashi does have someone, though that hasn't yet been introduced. I think the first mentions of it are in this chapter. I'm glad to hear you're finding the story intriguing.  
  
teckno: Oh, yeesh. I didn't even notice that. Oo;;;; That's what you call coincident. Part of the reason I like writing A/U fanfics is that you don't have to stick to what the animator/manga-ka has provided you with. I like making up family connections. =) I'm weird.   
  
Nocturne's Requiem: The only reason that was quick is that I have some of the chapters already written. Otherwise, it probably would have been weeks. I'm slow. =3 I'm glad you find the imagery realistic. Yondaime does come off as a bit of a bastard, but it isn't really that he's trying to be. The kitsune-jins have been oppressed for decades, and treated unfairly, and you sort of come to a mutual hate with the other party after a while. Not all kitsune-jins hate humans and vice versa, it's a generalization. Yondaime, as part of the royal family, was taught to hate humans, and so set an example for the other kitsune-jins. Another thing there is the influence of nobles on the royal family. You've got a noble who really dislikes humans, and he's got money and pretty large backing, and you don't wanna make him mad, so you play along too. It's all about imaging. The reason Naruto isn't quite as bad is that, I think, the Yondaime really didn't want him to hate anything, so he didn't teach him as strictly, but Naruto kinda picked it up off other people, but not to the same extent. The reason Yondaime's dead set against having a human in the house is a) this human's a criminal and b) the royal family's image. I hope that explained...even though it was lengthy.   
  
Watermelon Gal: Eh....Yondaime's not mean, it's just the way he was raised, and a sort of safe-guard to protect the royal family's image amongst kitsune-jins. The kitsune-jins were oppressed and as a general rule, aren't too happy with the humans. If the royal family sympathizes with humans, the kitsune-jins aren't going to be very happy, and might start a revolt or something. The rest of the explanation is above with the reply to Nocturne's Requiem. Kakashi's the same way as Yondaime, and he's got a low opinion of criminals. I agree that Kakashi should be more 'meh', but when you deal with criminals and humans all day, and then a human whore starts on your king, what else are you going to say? =3 I'm glad you like the story despite that!   
  
YukaYuka: I'm glad you like the story so far.   
  
Bishiehuggler: I'm glad you like the story so far. 1984 does have a knack for killing hope for heroics, ne? I already wrote a story like that, though, so I'm trying something new here, and just seeing where it takes me. Yondaime is prejudice...partially because he wants to be, and partially because his position calls for it. If the rest of the kitsune-jins are against humans, and their leader's not, he's not going to be their leader very long.   
  
kiowen: I'm glad you like the story so much and even pity Sasuke to a degree...I heard somewhere that the mark of a great writer is to evoke sympathy for the characters from the reader. o.O;;;;  
  
Iceheart19: Originality, huh? Well...I dunno. It just seemed like something he would do to get out of immediate danger.=3 Hmm...the Elvenbane book does sound like an interesting read....I might have to see if I can find a copy!  
  
ohmylord: I'm glad you like the fanfic so much.   
  
pochacco5: Well, now the going is getting a bit rougher, just because there are two separate directions I can take this in, but I think I have a way to work them both in. I'm glad you like the story so far.  
  
bleedformeee: I'm glad you like the story. The mpreg really isn't so much the focus of the story anymore, as it was originally going to be, and it'll probably eventually fade into the background...methinks, anyways. O.o;;; I'll try not to keep you waiting too long!  
  
artemis347: So many questions.... They'll all get answered one way or another. As to why they do drugs...drugs are often used as painkillers (ie. Heroin, Sasuke's drug of choice). Sometimes, they're used to block an emotional or psychological pain, and other times, for physical pain. Drugs are a way of altering one's state, and so the opposite of being in pain, is to not be in pain. Since no one likes to be in pain, they try to escape it, and often, can do so by using drugs. Different drugs do different things. Heroin and morphine and things like that tend to induce a state of numbness and lethargy (sleepiness) and the user generally doesn't feel pain. I had morphine once when I needed my arm operated on (stupid me broke it), and I was out like a light (this depends on the dosage though). That's the reason characters in this story do drugs - to escape pain.  
  
Ravyn: I'm glad you like the story, despite the graphicness and the drugs. The drugs are just another part of things people often classify as 'lowly' and 'disgusting', but people do them anyways. I'm just trying to convey something that does happen in real life.   
  
Warnings for this chapter: More OOCness, with plenty of new characters to make it so, the first subtle references to mpreg, swearing, sexual references, drug and alcohol use, violence, and some light shonen-ai.   
  
Now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 3: The Eternal White  
  
A long, long time ago, the earth had no inhabitants. Then, there was the first small, one-celled creature to inhabit the ocean, and then, it somehow evolved and became many, many cells. And evolution went on like that, until it came to monkeys, wherein the true story of humanity began, as the monkeys began to evolve, and eventually, they became humans.   
  
Those early humans roamed the earth, forging and hunting, and gathering, like wild, savage beasts. Slowly, they came to live in groups together, and they hunted and they talked, a strange dialect, now lost forever more.   
  
Gradually, the groups became larger and larger, and the humans discovered how to grow their food, and built permanent houses, and their social structure evolved from there.   
  
There were the kings, who were the highest of the high, followed by the lords, and then by the ninjas, and then by the lower merchants and then by the farmers. In those days, there were no slaves, for the humans had not started warring with each other - that would come later.  
  
And later did come, along with a sense of religious enlightenment, for the different groups began to worship deities and divine presences and only one set could be the true set, and so they must turn the other heathens and pagans into the light before their souls were lost.  
  
The battles were bloody and brutal, and many, many men were lost in the name of their gods. Villages were burned and slaves were taken, and lands were taken and riches too. All in due course, the fighting became about economics, rather than religion and different villages scrambled to create a mighty empire and own land and be the best to trade with so that they might alienate their rivals.   
  
This was how Konoha had come to invade the land to the Far North, the realm of the kitsune-jins. The fox-people lived in relative peace, occasionally attacking a neighbouring village because the chief had stolen the other's oldest daughter, or had encroached on his territory.   
  
By this time, the villages of the humans had grown into mighty cities and they had many luxuries and their social structure was as complex as their religious system and when they saw the kitsune-jins, still with the simple roots they had come from, they had assumed they were primitive and there to be their slaves.  
  
For forty years, the humans had ravaged the kitsune'jins's lands, which were rich in gold and silver and such, and ruled them with an iron fist. They lived in poverty and were forced to pay heavy taxes. The women were subjected to rape and beatings, and the men hardly ever got a scrap of food for the work they did, and the children were laughed at and stoned by the human children, because they were dirty, ill-fed and illiterate. They were treated disgracefully because they were different and the humans claimed them as property, rather than beings and they were loaded up and shipped out by the wagon full, like some sort of cattle.   
  
And lo, forty years of this passed and then, civil war broke out in Konoha, and men were fighting in the streets, like a bloodbath and the stones of the ancient buildings turned an ugly shade of red. Two kings had been crowned and they were fighting with their all, trying to kill the other.   
  
The kitsune-jins were left to themselves and that gave them courage. Days and weeks passed and with each day and no sign of returning soldiers, they were brought new hope. They rallied together and scraped together an army. They marched South for many days and when they reached the Northern tip of the city, they fought with all the animalistic ferocity in their blood. The blood ran thick that day and they marched upon the Northern King's palace and told him that they could help him defeat his brother in the South - for a price. They never named their price and when the South was defeated, they slaughtered the Northern king and all his supporters.   
  
Thus began the rule of kitsune-jins in Konoha. The male who had led them through the war was the first King, and after he died, his bother became the Nidaime, and then his grandson had become the Sandaime, and then, his nephew, the Yondaime.   
  
In this time, the kitsune-jins had given back everything that the humans had ever given to them, at least tenfold. They were killed by the thousands, and their land, and their jobs were taken away. Hundreds of them were sold into slavery, and exported far, far away. Desperation became inherent and the humans turned to drugs and sex.   
  
Naruto sighed and stared up at his ceiling. His tutor, Master Iruka had given him a thousand lectures on the history of the world, and all he remembered was that brief summative. He rolled over, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.  
  
Master Iruka had been a human, and he had been allowed to live at the palace. And for all Naruto knew, and suspected and had heard, Iruka and Kakashi had carried on in such a way as to make the entire palace shamed.   
  
Humans, having been educated, were the preferred teachers of the kitsune-jins, who had never learned the fascinating human writing, nor their dialect. In school, they learned history, and physics, and many other sciences, as well as mathematics and languages. They were taught only by kitsune-jins in the kitsune-jin dialect, which no human, no matter how hard he tried, could seem to master - as of now, the common language was something known as 'English', a foreign concept to both peoples and challenging enough for both to learn.   
  
But if Iruka was a human and had been allowed to stay with them, why shouldn't the human that desperately needed to be looked after? He supposed, he didn't care, really, and it was just a sort of whim that, if he had been in the same situation, he'd have wanted someone to take pity on him and save him from the deathbed.   
  
Then again, he remembered that Master Iruka hadn't been a criminal, nor a drug addict, nor a whore, and nor had he lived his entire life on the streets, which were infested with plague and disease.   
  
Sighing, he sat up. He knew he would have no peace of mind unless he did what he felt was right. Already, he'd spent two nights musing over it, and Kakashi had already commented on the wonders that lack of sleep did to his performance.   
  
He dragged himself out of the warm comfort of his sheets, parting the heavy curtains that hung from the four posts of the bed. His room was richly and ornately decorated, with gold trim, and several expensive scrolls hanging on his wall. There were two larges vases of fresh flowers on either side of the balcony door, with large peacock feathers stuffed in alongside them. The curtains were drawn now, and faint starlight trickled in, unaccompanied by the maiden moon's beams.   
  
Naruto stuffed his feet into his slippers and got up, padding across the plush carpet. He pulled a pair of orange pants and a black t-shirt out of his closet - his most normal clothes, as the rest were ornate robes and Special Forces uniforms - and shoved them on.   
  
On the bed, little Yume stirred, lifting her head up. She made a funny whining noise and he looked over a the little fox kit. She blinked her wide golden eyes and yawned at her master, then settled back down, looking at him with sad eyes.   
  
He reached down and scratched behind her ears. She really was just like a dog, those filthy things that humans kept, only ten times as efficient and twenty times as clean. "I'm just going out for a walk," he told her, but she looked at him in such a way as to say, 'I don't believe you.'  
  
He sighed. He couldn't even lie to his animals. He stormed out of the room, not bothering to talk to the little fox. The door slammed shut. After a moment or two, Yume hopped down from the bed and meandered to the door, and began pawing at it, as if begging to be let out.  
  
Naruto, however, couldn't hear her, because he was already halfway across the palace ground on the way to the prison. The night was chilly, and moonless, and the stars barely made light the empty courtyard. He went as quickly and as silently as he could, because the night patrol were specially trained to hear, rather than see, intruders.   
  
Apparently, they were very good at it too. No sooner had his thoughts strayed to how to get into the prison at this time of night, than one of the palace guards was in his face, snarling and growling like something out of a nightmare.   
  
"State your name and purpose," the creature growled, and Naruto suddenly realized why, as a child, he'd never been allowed outside at night. The night guards were not kitsune-jin, and they were not human. They weren't even neko-jins for that matter. They were something altogether more animalistic.  
  
The looming creature advanced on him and he nearly gasped in horror as, finally, his eyes adjusted to the dim light and he could see that the creature had no pupils - its eyes were entirely white.   
  
He felt sick. He stumbled back as the huge, snarling thing took another step forward. There was a shout from yonder, and several people came crashing over the hedges, landing on the cobblestone, just behind the beast.   
  
"What've you got there, Manda?"  
  
It was then that Naruto realized what the hulking beast was. It was the snake used by the army general, Orochimaru. It wasn't a night guard at all. The giant snake blinked, and it's eyes returned to normal. Naruto wondered what it had been doing to make them blank anyways.  
  
It slithered back to its Master, hissing, its tongue flickering in and out. Orochimaru himself looked just as terrifying as the snake, and almost more serpentine than Manda. His eyes were slitted and gold, and his whole face just lent itself to the snake persona. He was paler than death, and his midnight black hair tumbled across the left side of his face.  
  
He was nearly as old as Naruto's grandparents. It was rumoured that he wore gobs and gobs of make-up to hide it, but the only rouge Naruto could detect was the purple eye-shadow that encompassed the top half of his eyes. He smiled wickedly.   
  
"Ah, prince, it's merely you. What are you doing up at this time?"  
  
Naruto swore he saw the man's tongue dart from between his lips, just like Manda's. "Er, nothing actually. I was taking a walk," he lied.   
  
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "You really shouldn't. Terrible things lurk in these parts, especially at night. You know, whores, drug addicts, humans, criminals and the like."  
  
There was a hint of humour in Orochimaru's voice and Naruto got the distinct feeling that his father had wired the general and told him exactly what had happened in the past two days.   
  
The general strode by him, a cold aura seeming to follow him, and Manda slithering in his wake. "You're father told me all about it, prince. Don't worry; I've got no qualms about it and if it displeases your father, all the more to your credit. I myself am more concerned with your father's doings than some human whore."  
  
The black-haired man turned back and smirked. "Go get your whore, and see what misery he brings you."  
  
And with that, the general and the snake continued their walk to the palace. Naruto scratched his head, pondering. To his knowledge, Orochimaru was supposed to be afield with the Konoha Army, sacking some village of humans who had dared to oppose the kitsune-jin king. He wasn't due back until a week later, but perhaps, Naruto mused, the task had been completed easily and thus, Orochimaru had returned.   
  
Ignoring the unsettled feeling in his stomach for encountering the general, he returned to the task he'd set himself to relieve himself of his restlessness.   
  
In all technicality, the job itself didn't take that long and before he knew it, Naruto found himself on his way back, dragging the human whore back to his home with him.  
  
He entered the castle at the great hall, expecting it to be empty. How wrong he was. It seemed that the Yondaime's entire army, having just blown in from their mission, had set up camp in the great hall. They were yelling and screaming, laughing and cheering, and generally making a ruckus. They were still in their blood-soaked uniforms. Servants sloshed red wine into their glasses, which they greedily quaffed.   
  
Naruto stared in horror. Orochimaru waved at him, grinning idiotically. "O-ho, here's the brat! Where's your father?!"  
  
Naruto blinked. "I don't know," he answered, though he knew that his father was either in his study or his bed chambers.  
  
Why did everyone call him 'brat'?  
  
Orochimaru frowned. "Well, twerp, bring him down here! We'll sack the castle and cut him up if you don't!"   
  
Naruto made no move to do the general's bidding and said general drew his sword. "C'mon, kid. Or do you want to join your old man?"  
  
One of the other soldiers started up. "Ya, the old man ran as soon as he saw us!"  
  
More jeers ensued, the wine making the soldiers bold. "Went and locked hisself up!"  
  
"Didn't want to deal with the likes of us!"  
  
"Ha! He's scared!"  
  
"He knows he has the money!"   
  
"He just don't wanna pay us!"  
  
"Ya!"   
  
Orochimaru looked at Naruto. "Ya hear us, brat? Get your father down here - we ain't waiting!"  
  
He gestured to a servant and called, "More wine here!"  
  
The servant scuttled over and poured wine into the goblet. He was shaking so badly that he spilled the liquid all over. Orochimaru didn't appear to notice. "Where's my whore?" he demanded, his eyes angry.  
  
Naruto could only blink. Orochimaru's gaze settled on Sasuke, who'd been briefly forgotten. Naruto blinked again. "Huh? Oh, no! No, no!"  
  
Sasuke tried to hide behind Naruto. Orochimaru rose from his seat. "Pretty whore, you've got there."  
  
He slid across the floor. Naruto frowned and glared at the general. "You won't lay a finger on him."  
  
"Out of my way, brat," Orochimaru growled, shoving the blond prince out of the way.   
  
He grabbed the struggling human by the wrist and held him fast. "Here, my pretty, come to Papa...I won't hurt you..."  
  
He flicked his tongue against Sasuke's ear, his breath hissing against Sasuke's frozen cheek. Sasuke closed his eyes, feeling the general's hands roaming over his frail body, touching him all over. He squirmed and wriggled, trying to loose the iron grip on his body. Vaguely, he could hear Naruto growling and screaming, but he was too scared to take note of what he said.   
  
His eyes were wide, his lips were numb - he had frozen, his body screaming at him to stop the coital dance and run, and stop subjecting himself to this torture. Run, run, he had to run away! His knees were shaking - the one thing prison had promised him was sanctuary; sanctuary from this, from the way he lived.   
  
Naruto's threats had no effect at all, and his own body had given up on him, and given in. He felt tears welling up in his eyes because he knew the pain that was coming, but there was nothing he could do to stop it, no matter how hard he struggled against the serpentine man.  
  
Faintly, he heard a door crash open. The hands retracted almost instantly. An icy voice cut through the air, barking "Orochimaru! You're back and - what are you doing?!"  
  
Everyone turned to stare at the open door and the boy - the human boy - stalked across the room. He was dressed in a fresh, pressed kimono, which had been dyed black. His long, dark hair was tied into a smooth ponytail. His eyes were red and two faint scars ran under them. He was pale and thin. He glared at Orochimaru, and everyone seemed to cower at his presence.   
  
Sasuke found it strange, to see kitsune-jins, even Naruto and Orochimaru, cowering away from a human in fear and respect.   
  
"I....ummm..," Orochimaru stammered, his eyes darting about the room, nervously.   
  
The human stopped, glowering at the general. "You're consorting with another whore? How disgusting."  
  
"Ah, Itachi-dearest, I'm not -"  
  
"And what's this? Wine and fine dining, without the entertainment!" The human's glare turned diamond hard. "One should think you don't care for my company any more!"  
  
Orochimaru sighed. Itachi was very possessive of him, despite the abuse he inflicted upon him.   
  
The human had long ago discovered that his very existence depended on Orochimaru's want of him. As soon as he had no need of the younger human whore, he could feed him to the dogs, kill him, or give him to the army. Orochimaru sighed again and took Itachi by the hand. "Now, now, dearest, calm yourself. I've not tired of you at all."  
  
The human smirked. "Then show me and come with me to the chambers, and we'll leave this dirty lot behind."  
  
The dark-clad human strode out of the room, leading Orochimaru away. Sasuke shivered and sighed, collapsing to his knees. He started, then gasped as someone their hand upon his shoulder. He looked up at the blond kitsune-jin.   
  
"You alright?" Naruto asked.   
  
Sasuke nodded numbly and allowed himself to be helped up. Naruto hovered about him, asking him questions ceaselessly and making sure he didn't stumble.   
  
From one corner of the hall, someone was watching them. Kabuto smiled a bit, and pushed his glasses back up onto his nose. Orochimaru would be very pleased to hear about this development and he was almost sure that Itachi would be just as interested.   
  
Sasuke and Naruto however, remained oblivious to the watching and continued on the way to the Naruto's bedchambers. It took them far longer than it should have, partly because Naruto had to take the back ways and partly because Sasuke was so very weak.   
  
Finally, they reached Naruto's room and when the door opened, Yume tumbled out, tripping clumsily over her own paws. She sat up, shaking her head, then began hissing at Sasuke. Naruto gave her a little nudge in the ribs and told her to stop. She refused and continued to hiss.   
  
Naruto dragged her inside and looked back at Sasuke, who was standing stone-still in the doorway. "Come in. She normally doesn't bite."  
  
Sasuke looked at the fox warily, who was still hissing at him. He found himself dragged into the room by Naruto. The kit kept hissing. Naruto dragged Sasuke through the room, to the bathroom, where the kitsune-jin engineers had fabricated a fantastic bathtub in the centre of the room. Naruto turned a knob on the basin and it began to fill with piping hot water.   
  
The kitsune-jin bustled about the room, leaving the human to tend to himself. In a moment, he returned with soap, shampoo, bubble-bath, a wash-cloth and a big, fluffy towel.   
  
The blond looked up at his new charge and patted the side of the porcelain tub. "Get in," he instructed.  
  
Sasuke looked away shyly. He really didn't want to remove the last threads of sanctity from his body and make himself bare in front of...  
  
He looked disgusting, he knew, and he really did feel uncomfortable, as the action of removing his clothes for a stranger seemed to entail that the memories from the darkest nights were allowed to choke his mind and freeze him.   
  
Naruto watched the boy, who looked at the floor, mute horror written all across his face at the suggestion. Naruto wondered if humans were somehow allergic to water, or were like witches, and burned away to nothing.   
  
He continued to muse, adding the lavender-jasmine scented bubble-bath he'd had imported from god-knew where to the steaming water. He heard the sound of something metallic clicking and turned back, only to find his vision blocked by something that smelled disgusting and was coated with blood and dry semen.   
  
He quickly realized that this thing was the remnants of Sasuke's shorts, having been thrown in his face. There was a small squeak from Sasuke and the sound of moving water. Naruto pulled the garments off his face and found Sasuke seated in his bathtub, most of himself hidden under the bubble bath.   
  
He was vigorously scrubbing at himself with the kitsune-jin's specialized soap, which had also been imported and was infused with the scent of orange and lime. He hissed every time the soap came in contact with his skin, but he kept scrubbing, as if trying to remove all the dirt and grime from himself.   
  
"Here," Naruto murmured, picking up a soft cloth and rubbing the soap over it. He started rubbing the cloth over the boy's skin, his eyes widening and his stomach churning at how the bones moved beneath the skin.   
  
Naruto opened the shampoo bottle and began to scrub at the boy's hair, washing away the filth. He dumped a bucket of water over the boy's head, washing the soap out of the human's dark locks. He unfolded the towel and offered it to the human boy.   
  
Sasuke looked at him, and then at the towel, and hopped out of the tub, into the warm embrace of the towel. He shivered a bit and Naruto wrapped the towel about his thin frame. He started rubbing the boy's skin down.   
  
Sasuke sighed and rested his head on the kitsune-jin's shoulder, the hot bath bringing out the need to sleep. Naruto hefted him up and walked toward the bedroom with his charge, who was a drowsy pile of fluff. Sasuke yawned and snuggled down in Naruto's grasp.   
  
Yume hissed when the kitsune-jin brought the human into the room and she hissed louder when the human was set on the bed. Sasuke made a soft noise as the bed sank down beneath him, cradling his broken body. Yume hissed and nipped at the naked boy's ankles.   
  
Naruto pulled the covers up and over Sasuke's body, then realized that he had to sleep as well. "Yuck," he muttered, gingerly lifting the covers and clambering in the other side.   
  
Sasuke sighed in his sleep and rolled over. Yume whined, rather loudly, and curled up next to her master. Naruto looked at Sasuke, wondering what kind of ornament the Uchiha would make once he was fattened up a bit.   
  
He flushed a bit, thinking of how he'd like to sleep with the boy, and keep him in his bed. Hell, he was getting hard just thinking about having the whore under him, screaming his name and writhing.   
  
Why not just take him right then? He looked at Sasuke, who was sleeping so easily and soundly. He sighed and rolled over. He'd wait for later. He allowed his mind to wander for the present. He wondered what Orochimaru thought of keeping Itachi in his bed. Did he enjoy it? Did Itachi please him? How did he treat the human slave?   
  
He sighed and continued his musing.   
  
While he was musing on the snake-general, said man was talking to Kabuto, after leaving a sated slave in his bed. His activities had seemingly drove all the alcohol in his veins away.   
  
"So, you say the boy is another Uchiha?"   
  
Kabuto nodded. "I'll say it was so. I was there when we did the deed and I'd know to see another one."  
  
Orochimaru looked thoughtful. Kabuto smiled, almost wickedly. "Perhaps we should instigate the Uchiha Curse?"   
  
Orochimaru's smile matched Kabuto's. "Ah, wonderful idea, my minion. Wouldn't it be ironic, especially since the King seems so dead-set against the human creature?"  
  
Kabuto gave his elder a little bow. Orochimaru looked thoughtful again. "I'll have to talk to Itachi about this however..."  
  
"You'll have to talk to me about what?" a tired, rather grumpy, rather ruffled Uchiha Itachi asked, appearing in Orochimaru's common room, wearing nothing more than a bed sheet.   
  
Orochimaru and Kabuto looked at him, a bit startled. Orochimaru, however, quickly composed himself. "My dear, you saw the whore our lovely prince dragged in tonight -"  
  
"You mean the streetwalker you were set on having? Yes, I saw him and if you dare touch another again, I'll castrate you."  
  
Orochimaru blanched for a second, then said, almost frighteningly calm, "My dearest Itachi, that is your brother, the only surviving member of your clan, save for yourself."  
  
Itachi watched with impassive eyes, waiting for Orochimaru to get to the point. Orochimaru coughed uncomfortably. "He's with our darling prince and the king seems to much disapprove of this. We were wondering if we could, if just for a bit of fun if not for anything else, perhaps, force upon him the Uchiha Curse?"  
  
Itachi frowned and said, rather softly, for he remembered his younger brother rather fondly, "I'd have to see."  
  
Orochimaru smirked. "We could do that now, if you so desired, Darling. I'm sure the brat knows where he is."  
  
Itachi looked pensive. It would do him good, he supposed, to see something of his own flesh and blood, after so long. "Hn," he said, then disappeared to the bedroom and returned wearing a simple black tunic.   
  
Orochimaru smirked more. "I'll take that as a yes."  
  
He stood. "Shall we go disturb his Royal Highness?"  
  
Itachi smirked back. "Indeed."  
  
Kabuto watched the two, slightly scared because the human and his master were very much alike. They swept out of the room, like shadows. Kabuto sighed and pushed his glasses back up to rest on his nose.   
  
Orochimaru and Itachi swept down the hall, then up the stairs, heading for the prince's chambers.   
  
Orochimaru rapped on the door of the chamber, and summoned his most booming voice. "Naruto-sama! Naruto-sama! Wake up and light from you bed!"  
  
Itachi snickered, but quickly stopped as the door opened to reveal a sleepy Naruto. "What do you want?" he asked with a yawn.   
  
Orochimaru stood, prim and proper, his face grim and stoic. "We wish to know what happened to the human boy with you this evening."  
  
Naruto frowned, seeming to snap awake. "And why should you wish to find him?"  
  
Itachi cut in quickly. "I should wish to see and speak with my younger brother, if that is indeed who he is."  
  
Naruto frowned, but pulled back the door and revealed the human whore who was sleeping, naked, in his bed. Itachi and Orochimaru shared a knowing look and smirked. They stepped into the room and Yume began to growl and hiss, although she was ignored.   
  
Itachi seated himself on the bed and began to shake the boy's shoulders. "Sasuke," he called. "Sasuke. Wake up, brother."  
  
Dark eyes opened and Sasuke had been roused from his much needed sleep.   
  
Orochimaru and Naruto watched the interaction between the brothers from across the room. After a few moments, Sasuke began to nod off. Itachi rose and smiled at Orochimaru, who turned to leave with a hand sign to Naruto.  
  
Itachi was stopped, however, by Naruto's hand on his shoulder. "Itachi. I would like to have a word with you."  
  
And that was how Itachi came to be sitting at the head of the table in the prince's private dining hall, with a fine and lush breakfast spread before him. Hungrily, he scarfed down the good food, for even though Orochimaru kept him on fine food and fed him well, the prince's spread was even better.   
  
He knew he appeared as a glut, but he had to sate his appetite. Naruto waited for him, patiently, picking at his own food, seeming more hungry for talk than food.   
  
At last, Itachi set down the sweet roll he'd been devouring and wiped his fingers and lips daintily upon a napkin. He cleared his throat and folded his hands, daring to look up at the prince. Faint morning light started flooding in from the outside.   
  
"You wished to speak to me, my liege? How may I serve you?"  
  
Naruto leaned forward, looking quite serious. "I wish to know how suited your brother is to enduring the Uchiha Curse."  
  
Itachi blinked. " You...you wish to inflict that upon him?"  
  
Naruto did not reply and Itachi swallowed, shifting nervously. "To endure it, you'll first have to gain his trust, and a sort of love, or at least, respect for you. Otherwise, he shouldn't do it for you."  
  
Naruto nodded, still thinking. "What about his health?"  
  
Itachi sighed. "Well, you'd have to make sure he's clean and unfilled with disease. He'd also have to feel stable, and have adequate sleep. The most important thing, however, is for him to gain weight. I'm no doctor, but I'd suggest four or five smaller sittings, for now, instead of three large ones."  
  
Naruto nodded, then smiled. "Have you succumbed to the curse?" he asked, almost cheekily, his eyes straying down to Itachi's empty plate.   
  
The human snorted. "I should say not."  
  
Naruto waved him off. "Thank you for your help, Uchiha. You're dismissed."  
  
Itachi bowed to the lord, then exited the room as quickly as he could. "Me! How dare he! Me, under the curse! I should not think so!" he huffed.   
  
He whipped around a corner, musing upon the suggestion. He had been feeling a bit out of sorts lately. He seemed off balance, and a couple of other minor details that made him think the suggestion accurate. Violently, he shook his head and continued on his way back to his master's chambers.   
  
He opened the door and found the elite sound asleep in bed. He sighed. It looked as though he hadn't been missed at all. He crawled into the bed, rousing Orochimaru, though he spoke not a word, his mind wandering to his own, personal decisions.   
  
Orochimaru elbowed him in the ribs. "Where have you been?" the general inquired, gold eyes narrowed angrily.   
  
Itachi shrugged. "It seems his Highness wishes to inflict the curse upon my poor brother."  
  
Orochimaru frowned. "Well, what fun is it if the brat wants to make the whore so?"  
  
Itachi shrugged, smiling slightly as he tugged the rich covers up over his knees. "Orochimaru, dearest, I've been thinking something over and I wish to know -"  
  
Here, he paused and looked up at the silent, angry general. "- Should you ever like to see me in that way?"  
  
Orochimaru blinked, taken back a bit by the question. Itachi generally avoided questions or answers that had anything to do with bonds. "I...have not given it much thought, love. Should you like to be in that way?"  
  
Itachi shrugged, nonchalantly. "I shouldn't really know, darling, until I was, now should I?"  
  
Orochimaru smirked. "So like you, darling. Yes, I suppose I should like to see you that way."  
  
Itachi twiddled his thumbs. "I suppose you should."  
  
"Then shall we?" Orochimaru asked, wrapping an arm about Itachi.  
  
Itachi cuddled up to him and they shared a kiss, and for the first time in forever, their love-making was gentle and almost loving, nearly tender. There seemed to be no fever between them, when normally it hounded them and made itself their drive. And when at last, they were complete, they lay together in the sweaty sheets, tangled in each other, post-coital and gentle, subdued.   
  
[A/N: Yes, that was very odd. Why don't you review and tell me how freakin' odd it was? I'll sit here and nod and agree with you. =)] 


	4. Riding Lightning

(A/N: Thanks for 45 reviews!  
  
Watermelon Gal: Aw, you're not stupid. It was just me being confusing and avoiding the actual issue. The Uchiha Curse was not explained in this chapter, and you will be told what it is in this chapter and it will be explained how it works. Itachi didn't recognize Sasuke because a) he hasn't seen him in forever, b) wasn't really paying attention, was more concerned with kicking Oro's ass, and c) it was kinda dark in the grand hall. Or we could just say that he's blind. =D Itachi is Orochimaru's slave, which is the only reason he's not dead like the rest of the clan.   
  
Bishiehuggler: The Uchiha curse is weird, and it's weird no matter if I'm vague about it, or I explain it, which will come in later chapters. Such as this one. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not something that most people would consider normal. And Itachi IS a frazzled old housewife. XD   
  
Junsui-san: You're welcome for the OroIta-ness. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and hopefully, your questions will be answered. =)  
  
Iceheart19: No, it wasn't very fast paced. Very slow, actually. I'm glad you liked it though. And yes, because I had so much fun writing ItaOro in "And the Beat Goes on" I'll probably write the pairing the same way from here to eternity. Naruto might be falling for Sasuke...or he could just be looking to get laid. We shall never know - tis Naruto. =)  
  
teckno: The tone of the fic changed? I missed it...Eh...it'll probably shift back and forth a bit, depending on my mood and such. I'm glad you liked the ending scene [that's the scene I was most worried about] and I'm glad you enjoyed most of the content in the chapter. The way I interpret the whole Itachi-Orochimaru relationship is that Itachi is actually in control of everything, but if it were up to him, there would be no sexual situations involved. Hence, Orochimaru has to take control in that situation, or he'd never see any action. =3 I'm odd.   
  
Yuen-chan: I'm so glad someone agrees with me! ::glomp::  
  
Kurisuteru-chan: I'm glad you like the story. The Uchiha Curse isn't meant to be understood yet, but it will be explained in this chapter. =)  
  
keelhaul lizzie: 3:30 am? Yeesh. I'd be so asleep. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I'm with you completely about the ItaOro. ::nod nod:: =D  
  
Kyme: Indeed, they are the strangest pair. I'm glad you like the fic though. =)  
  
Genrou chan: You learn something new every day. Orochimaru uses "kun" to taunt people. Something I did not know. I've seen neither manga nor anime involving him, so I've got no clue how to write him. =3 As for Itachi, it is a stretch, but I think I can make up several excuses for it:   
  
One, he was a prostitute when he was younger, so he knows how to act the part; two, he does it to be on level with Orochimaru; three, he actually does see Orochimaru as being a bit closer to him than anyone else, though he wouldn't freely admit that. Take your pick. Either that, or it's just my way of writing them in my other fanfic infecting this one. --  
  
bleedformeee: It is different, I'll give you that. I'm glad you like it. =)  
  
YukaYuka: The curse will be explained in this chapter. I'm glad you think the story's cute. =)  
  
artemis347: I'm glad you like the story!  
  
mika: I'm glad you like the story so much. The Uchiha curse will be explained in this chapter.   
  
AquaHawk-04: Since I said so! Bwhaha! No, I'm joking. I really don't know why they call each other pet names. And thank you for telling me it was odd!   
  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 4: Riding Lightning  
  
Sasuke sighed, rolling over. The covers were still wrapped about him, despite the fact it was nearly noon. Naruto had been uncannily nice to him, allowing him to sleep in, for however long he wanted, and to bathe when he wanted, and to have what he wanted, when he wanted it, and to eat whatever he wanted.   
  
It was kind of nerve wracking, for he was waiting for the other shoe to fall, for Naruto to turn him out or demand payback. So far, the kitsune-jin had let him do as he pleased, provided he made sure he slept only in Naruto's bed, and ate only in the blond's dining hall, and bathed only in Naruto's bath.   
  
Currently, the kitsune-jin was attending some religious worship, as today was some sort of holiday in the kitsune-jin religion. Sasuke sighed, rolled over again and got up. He'd been feeling much better as of late, with lots of sleep and good food helping to rejuvenate him. Of course, he was anything but sedentary, having decided he rather liked his slim frame and to keep it that way as long as he could. He exercised daily, often until he could barely move.   
  
Another thing that concerned him, was that Naruto was becoming increasingly sexual with him. He didn't like to be touched, and often flinched and shirked away from the kitsune-jin's advances, which, at first, had been soft and sweet, and innumerous, seeming to have no ulterior motive but to offer comfort and friendship.   
  
Now, the touches he received were frequent, and seemed to hold promises of more than comfort or friendship. He hated it. He wanted to get away from the kitsune-jin, and part of him knew that the other shoe was going to drop, and when it did, sex was going to be the prince's price.   
  
He sighed and threw on his robe. Yume looked at him from the bed, blinking her big, round eyes. She closed them and went back to sleep. Outside, he could hear the cheering and roaring of the kitsune-jins gathered for their end-of-summer festival in the town square. The sun shone brightly in and blinded Sasuke when he opened the drapes.   
  
He could barely believe it was nearing the end of September. The plants, when they should have been dying off in order to prepare for the winter, were still growing, at a ridiculous rate, some still blooming, even this late.   
  
It was still hot too, and Sasuke decided to dress to the weather, in airy cotton, instead of the heavy velvets, and wools Naruto seemed to expect him to wear during the winter.   
  
He dropped his robe and pulled a navy coloured t-shirt over his head. He had no where to go, so it didn't matter how he dressed. He pulled on a pair of shorts, deciding against wearing a belt today. He'd filled out enough that he didn't need it, and besides that, it would constrict his movement.   
  
He left his shoes in the room, where Yume would probably chew them up. She seemed to like chomping on his shoes, rather than her master's, perhaps because his were cheaper and more replaceable. He somehow thought it was her expression of her hatred for him.   
  
He padded down the hall, feeling the soft carpet, plush under his toes. He headed into the dining hall, yawning and stretching. He hadn't even brushed his hair yet, so he was sure it was a mess. He'd do his personal grooming after he ate, he supposed.   
  
He was surprised to find a maid attending to breakfast, or maybe it was lunch. Normally, the hall was empty, Naruto merely having made sure no one cleared the table until he had eaten. Hyuuga Hinata looked up at him and smiled, just a little bit.   
  
"Good morning, Sasuke," she said. "Naruto-sama will be back shortly. He told me to say that you were to wait for him. Perhaps you should go groom yourself."  
  
He surveyed her for a moment, wondering why Naruto wanted to dine with him. He shuddered at the possible implications.  
  
Hinata was young, about Naruto's age. Despite that, she was married to Inuzuka Kiba, a rich noble and heir to the Inuzuka clan. She herself was from the Main House of the Hyuuga Clan, a prestigious kitsune-jin family.   
  
Hinata was shy, and soft-spoken. Her eyes were white, which was a trademark of the Hyuugas, apparently. Sasuke had only ever seen one other person with eyes as devoid of colour, and that was Neji. He wondered if the two were somehow related.   
  
Hinata was also short, and diminutive, with a rather boyish figure. Her dark hair had been cropped short. It was hard to dislike her, but Sasuke did, for she was too soft and she seemed almost disloyal to her husband, by harbouring the crush she did on her prince. The other fact was that she had taken a post far below her status, serving the kitsune-jin prince like a common slave.   
  
Of course, Sasuke knew nothing of social status, except he was trash.   
  
Stupidly, he wandered back to the bed chamber. Why would Naruto want to dine with him? He had no table manners, and he ate like a ravenous horse. After he ate, he always felt like such a glutton.   
  
That first night, he'd eaten till he'd been sick, stuffing himself beyond the point of full, simply because it'd been so long that he'd gone without food.   
  
He stared at himself in the mirror, picking up the brush. His face was pale, but no longer drawn and marred, but rather, perfect and rounded. His eyes were dark, slanted daintily and with long lashes. His lips were rosy and full, and pouty. His dark locks, which had been treated very well, washed and cut, were like silk, and they framed his face. He looked like some sort of geisha girl, sans make-up.   
  
Slowly, he ran the brush through his tangled hair, thankful his hair was naturally straight, rather than curly. It would have been even harder to get the brush through his hair.   
  
He went about his personal grooming, slowly, musing on several things, and dreading going to dine with the prince.   
  
It seemed the other shoe was falling toward the earth at a rapid pace.   
  
Sighing, and knowing he could not put it off longer, for his stomach was protesting loudly, he wandered out of the bedchambers, back to the dining room.  
  
Hinata had gone, leaving behind her a vast spread - there were dishes upon dishes of soups, and breads and cheese, with platters of vegetables and rare exotic fruits. Candles had been lit, and the drapes had been drawn, casting the room in darkness. Rich meat glistened and he was tempted to eat something before the prince arrived and be gone.   
  
He sat down and waited. He waited a long while, and the candles had began to drip tallow before Naruto breezed into the room. He was dressed ornately, and though his clothes were richly decorated, they were wove of cotton, like his own. His eyes had been drawn upon, with dark lines extending to either side of his face. Black rimmed his eyes. He looked both fearsome and gracious.   
  
He sat down, directing a courteous smile at the former courtesan seated across from him. He frowned lightly, saying, "Did I keep you waiting long?"  
  
Sasuke shook his head, averting his gaze. Naruto's eyes disturbed him, holding the promise of something feral. He kept his eyes down. Naruto's voice continued, that low note of lust, denoting his intentions to the human boy.   
  
"Did Hinata not instruct you on how to dress for this occasion?"  
  
Again, he shook his head in a negative sign. Naruto sighed. "I suppose it will have to do."  
  
Sasuke kept his gaze focussed on the floor, and Naruto's voice stopped. The only sound in the room was the noise that the kitsune-jin made while devouring his meal. He paused, and looked up at the courtesan, who was the picture of dejected beauty in the candlelight.   
  
"Are you not hungry?" the kitsune-jin prince inquired, waiting for the human to acknowledge him.   
  
Sasuke was starving, but his conscious wouldn't allow him to eat, not knowing what came next. He chanced a glance up at Naruto, and seeing the hurt and worry that rested in the blue depths, hastily picked something off a platter and forced himself to down it.   
  
He nearly retched, but he chewed at whatever it was persistently. He didn't know what he was eating, because everything tasted like sawdust in his dry mouth. Naruto chuckled lightly. "Do you always begin by eating dessert?"  
  
Sasuke paused, and looked in horror to find that he'd been munching on a rich dessert, of which was a cake, covered in caramel, and chocolate, and whipped cream, with bits of fruit woven into the actual pastry. He had no doubt that some of the cream was sticking to the sides of his face - a fatal mistake indeed. It illuminated that he had been a whore, and he was quite sure it wasn't becoming.  
  
While he'd been mute in horror, Naruto had crossed the room, sliding his arms about Sasuke's thin frame. "If you'd like, allow me to do the same and start with my sweet treat," the kitsune-jin purred and Sasuke nearly fainted dead away at the suggestion.   
  
Feeling weak, he tried to push himself away from Naruto, but to no avail, and merely ended up falling into the other male's arms. Naruto gathered him up and carried him back to the bed chambers.   
  
No matter how hard he struggled, it seemed that the kitsune-jin was the stronger of two forces and held onto him firmly, until he at last resigned to his fate and hung there, limp, like a rag doll. He had nothing to look forward to, but there was no use grimacing about it.   
  
And when at last it was over, they lay panting, tangled in a sweaty, sticky mess that Naruto now called his bed, limbs all askew and confused. The kitsune-jin, ever instinctual, for even now, after the blood had been watered down by generations, the fox was a wild creature and acted on instinct, tried to initiate some post-coital nuzzling and tenderness with his supposed mate, but Sasuke blatantly refused to have a part in it.   
  
The blond forced him to lie still after a while, with his hips propped up on a pillow, and Sasuke feared that he was being prepared for another round. He squirmed and wriggled about, trying to escape Naruto as the blond slid the pillow under his lower back. This earned him a good smack.   
  
"Stop that," Naruto hissed.   
  
Sasuke tried to kick the kitsune-jin. Naruto growled, catching him by the foot and holding him there. "Don't. Move."  
  
Sasuke stayed perfectly still, not daring to take a breath. He didn't want to know what the kitsune-jin would do to him, not now that he'd seen the long canines that terrible mouth housed.   
  
"Why?" he murmured faintly through clenched teeth.   
  
Naruto smiled and petted his head. "Why not?" he asked.  
  
Sasuke turned to glare at the kitsune-jin. "Why?" he demanded, his voice denoting the anger, and the hurt of having his trust broken once again.   
  
Naruto smiled, almost gently. "Ah, because. You can be of great service to me, Uchiha."   
  
Sasuke said nothing, waiting for Naruto to spill all the information. The blond was close to doing it - his smile was growing wider by the minute. "How?" he asked, trying his best to sound curious, rather than pissed off.  
  
Naruto sighed and looked up. "You've never heard of the Uchiha Curse?"  
  
Sasuke blinked. "Uchiha....curse?" he asked, feeling stupid and uninformed.   
  
What dark secrets did his deceased family have to hide?  
  
"Yes. You've never heard of it? Ah, well...I suppose you wouldn't have. I only know about it from your brother."  
  
"My brother..," Sasuke said, the thought still strange, but trying to prompt the kitsune-jin to continue.   
  
Naruto grinned, looking down at him. "Yeah. Oh, you should see him! It's kind of strange, I guess, but...wow..."  
  
"What are you going on about, you idiot?" Sasuke growled, now frustrated with the prince's blathering.  
  
"Heh. Yeah, I guess you couldn't know. He's got quite the cute tummy on him."  
  
Sasuke blinked stupidly, wondering what the hell Naruto was on about. He really wished the blond would stop beating around the bush and just come out and say it.   
  
Naruto continued. "Though I don't know what the hell we're gonna do with a little Orochimaru-Itachi running around. Man, that kid's gonna be from hell."  
  
Sasuke coughed. "Excuse me? Kid?"  
  
Naruto nodded, looking at Sasuke as if he were stupid or something. "Yeah. You didn't get it? Your brother's pregnant."  
  
Sasuke felt tell-tale weakness running through his veins. He felt sick, he felt dizzy. This couldn't be happening, no, no...  
  
"Is...that why?" he asked, feeling numb all over, dreading the answer.   
  
Naruto nodded gravely. "Yup. That's why you gotta stay still."  
  
Sasuke turned over, ignoring the blond's last words. He had started to shake and he could feel tears in his eyes. "No," he murmured. "You're lying. You're lying," he accused, feeling hysteria welling up inside of him.   
  
"I'm not lying, Sasuke."  
  
Sasuke started to cry, hysteria setting in. He didn't -   
  
He couldn't -   
  
Why -  
  
His thoughts were all screwed up and all he could do was sob, pathetically, even as Naruto tried to stop him. He cried and cried, until he'd cried himself to sleep, still hiccupping as he nodded off.   
  
Naruto sighed and slithered out of bed, once he was sure that the dark-haired human was asleep. His father had called upon him earlier and he was loathe to miss the appointment with the Yondaime, for he'd hear about his father's anger, if not hear it first-hand.   
  
He headed off for the study, after dressing himself. He wondered what on earth his father could possibly want to talk to him about, for he rarely seemed very important in his father's life, although he knew that their name and reign rested on his shoulders.   
  
He slid into the study, thoroughly surprised to find his grandparents and his father in the room. Tsunade smiled, almost sadly at him, in the way only the matron of the family can. Naruto ignored her and turned to his father, who looked rather grim.  
  
"Father?" the prince of Konha asked, and was responded to by awkward silence.   
  
At last, the Yondaime of Konoha sighed and answered his son. "Naruto, there's something very important that you need to know..."  
  
Naruto listened, hanging onto every word his father said. In truth, no one else could have garnered the boy's attention quite to that extent.   
  
The Yondaime looked almost nervous. "You're engaged," he stated, rather bluntly, given the situation.  
  
Naruto coughed. "Excuse me?"  
  
The older man sighed. "You're going to marry Haruno Sakura. She's the daughter of one of the merchants in the North and the marriage has been arranged for a long time. She's heading South as we speak, for as you know, you've just turned seventeen."  
  
Naruto stood there, agape, like a fish out of water. He was going to be married? He didn't even know this girl! Who was she? What did she look like? What did she act like? Would he even like her?   
  
"But," he began, feeling incredulous, overwhelmed, and at the same time, angry.   
  
"There's no buts about it, Naruto. You're seventeen and you know that every kitsune-jin male marries at seventeen."  
  
Naruto shut his mouth and turned on his heel quickly, leaving as fast as he could. He didn't want to think about this, not now, not ever.  
  
The Yondaime sighed. Tsunade looked at him piteously. "I told you he wouldn't take it well. Naruto's not one to take others decisions. He'd rather make his own, based on his feel -"  
  
The Yondaime had rose during her speech and strode out of the study, his head bowed, as if in deep thought. "Quiet, Mother," he whispered, just before he was gone.   
  
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, who shrugged in response. She sighed and decided to go find her grandson and condole him into him into the marriage.  
  
She found him sitting in his common room, with a fire on the hearth and the human whore at his feet. The shades were drawn and someone had brought in tea, and sake. Naruto absently played with the dark haired one's locks.  
  
Tsunade entered the room, without knocking, knowing full well that her grandson knew she was there, or, if not, he would have told her to be gone. "Naruto?" she asked gently, shutting the door behind her.   
  
"Leave me alone, old hag."  
  
Tsunade grumbled about being called names, but she persisted. "Naruto, darling, I know you're upset, but try to listen to reason..."  
  
Naruto said nothing and handed Sasuke a cup of tea which the boy took grudgingly. Naruto picked up the bottle of sake and drank the alcohol straight.   
  
"That's illegal, you know," Tsunade said, trying to be gentle with her grandson's feelings, but growing increasingly annoyed.  
  
Legal drinking age in Konoha was twenty-five. Naruto shrugged. "So?"  
  
Naruto was going to be anything but cooperative. The blond kitsune-jin returned to fussing over the whore, who never once said anything to him. "Are you alright? Are you comfortable? Tired? Hungry? Is the tea alright? Is it warm enough? Are you still mad at me? I'm sorry, Sasuke, I didn't mean to, you know, and. . ."  
  
The prince sighed and continued to stroke Sasuke's hair lightly. "We should rest while we can. Tomorrow's another busy day," Naruto told him, standing up, and forcing the boy to go with him.   
  
Sasuke stood, a little awkwardly, for he was sore from Naruto's treatment of him. Tsunade snorted. "Brat, I don't see what's so bad about Haruno Sakura, especially when you're so concerned about that courtesan. Why, Sakura's of noble blood and rich. And a kitsune-jin too, unlike that geisha you have there."  
  
Naruto frowned, but said nothing, taking Sasuke by the arm and dragging him by her. "Goodnight, Grandmother," he growled, stalking off to his chambers.  
  
Tsunade sighed and shook her head. Naruto was such a hot head. He reminded her somewhat of her son in his younger days. She could only hope that he shouldn't lose something dear to him, which would forever change him, as it had her son.   
  
Naruto had never known a mother, because she had died in childbirth, no matter how the doctors had tried to save her.   
  
Naruto's mother, Kurenai, had been a very young woman when she had given birth to her son, and younger still when she was married to the Yondaime. She had come from the Western Deserts, from kitsune-jin nobility, unlike most noble clans, who originated in the North.   
  
Of course, she was only a half kitsune-jin, as her mother had been a human slave girl, but her father had held her as his own, despite her heritage. In the West, kitsune-jins often had many girls, human girls, as slaves, a harem, and from them, they had many, many children.   
  
Kurenai had been very beautiful. She had thick black hair that curled a little, and wide, red eyes. Her skin had been smooth and pale, which was a rarity coming from the Western lands, where the sun was blistering hot. She was often bold, having been raised in the position of heiress, for her father lacked any sons, despite all the women who mothered children for him.   
  
The Yondaime had loved her dearly, and her death had effected him more than anything else - the birth of his son, and his coronation soon after had left no mark on him. It surprised Tsunade that Naruto bore so little similarity to his mother.   
  
It also surprised her that he had selected a mate that bore so much similarity to her. Sasuke had hair the colour of the midnight sky, and fine, pale skin, an oval face, and when his temper was roused, she knew the red of the Uchiha bloodline tainted his eyes. She supposed this was another reason the Yondaime objected to the boy so strongly - he reminded him all too much of his dearly departed wife.   
  
Naruto had gone from her sights now and she sat down. She wondered vaguely why Naruto continued to have that whore around, then decided she didn't want to know what her grandson was doing with the boy, for she had already seen Itachi, Orochimaru's whore, and she was well aware of the curse of that family. She'd heard the stories of Konoha when she was a child. She barely recalled who had told them to her now, and she almost thought it had been her nurse, or one of her parents.   
  
"Once upon a time," she murmured, reciting the first line of the story.   
  
Once upon a time had always been the first line, because she had been young, so it was almost a fairy tale. It hadn't been a fairy tale, but it was odd enough to be explained to her then by magic. Now that she was older, she understood the science behind it.   
  
The story had always recounted the Great War, between Konoha and the Western Deserts. Both sides had been ravaged, with whole villages plundered and burned to the ground and whole populations decimated by famine, fire, disease and a million screaming brutes.   
  
Famine had spread because the Western warriors were especially vicious, first burning the vast fields of Konoha to the ground, then ploughing the earth and salting it, so that nothing could grow. In addition, many of the farmers had turned to the military and marched westward in what was known as the suicide-campaign. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had been killed before they ever reached the edge of the desert.   
  
The West, however, had suffered just as much, and in the end, they had lost and been annexed with Konoha. Their people were enslaved, not in the traditional sense, but they were heavily taxed, and prevented from leaving their land. The only escape in the West from Konoha's tyranny had been death. That, of course, had changed with the arrival of kitsune-jin Konoha, because they were on much friendlier terms with their Western cousins.   
  
Unfortunately, the loss of life had been so great, on both sides, that they had began recruiting women. Women, the domestic sex, had seen it as an opportunity to gain their wings and be equals with their husbands. Ill-trained and ill-advised, they had gone to battle, only to be slaughtered, even more terribly than the men. It was said that not a single Konoha woman who marched over that horizon ever came back.   
  
And of course, that left the surviving men with fewer females. The population was emaciated, and miscarriages were common. The death rate was climbing higher and higher, with disease over taking the cities, and starvation took its toll too. Those females who did carry to term often didn't live to see their children and gave birth to thin, weak babies.   
  
The Uchiha Clan had been in even worse trouble. They only had one female between ten or twelve males. Marriage was impossible, for there was none outside the family that would give up their daughters, or their wives, and the head of the house refused to let an outsider into the family. The Uchihas had long been a family of incest, for they believed it kept their blood pure.   
  
This was where the fairy tale and the facts separated. As a child, Tsunade had been told that a pregnant sorceress had stopped to rest with the Uchihas one night, and the head of the clan had asked her for her unborn child. She had refused, and when the man got angry and told her to stop being selfish, she had countered that she wasn't and that she had worked hard for the child. The Uchiha had only scoffed and she had cursed him - and the whole of the male populous of that family - to find out just what hard work it was to bring a child into the world. Somehow, the curse had been just a little too powerful, or perhaps the sorceress a little too wicked, and every generation of male Uchihas from there down had been able to reproduce as a female.   
  
Of course, as Tsunade found out later, there had never been any sorceress. It had just been purely the invention of someone, probably one of the Uchihas who managed to get himself knocked up, to tell a small child what was happening.  
  
With anything, there was always a scientific explanation. The Aburame Clan of Konoha had been famed for its medical knowledge of the human body. While most peoples held the view that the male simply implanted a tiny human into the female, where it grew, the Aburames knew exactly what went on.   
  
In desperation, the Uchihas had turned to this clan, who were secretive and often antisocial, giving most people the impression that they were alchemists, which was a forbidden profession.   
  
The first solution had been to take the organs of dead females and embed them in the males. Of course, this had taken quite a bit of tweaking, and because the population was so sick, the organs were often decaying or infected and sometimes caused the death of their carrier(1).   
  
Slowly, the population began to increase, and more females became available. Health increased, and more and more healthy babies were born to healthy mothers. Still, the dwindled Uchiha clan was determined to restore its former might, in fear that another clan might usurp their powers in Konoha.   
  
So, their quest continued. And somehow, they struck success, when one of the Aburames suggested that they inject hormones into the womb of a pregnant woman, to continue the growth of both sets of sex organs. It was well-known to the Aburames that the sex of a child could not be determined until the fifth month, because there were hormones, and chromosomes present that didn't dissipate until then. Until the five month point, a fetus had both sets of reproduction organs(2).   
  
The first few attempts were flunks. It either killed the mother, or killed the baby, or mutilated them both. Finally, they got it right. And with that, the first of a generation of child-bearing males was born.   
  
The Aburames continued their experimentation, and the Uchiha population began to climb. With twice as many to become impregnated, how could they go wrong?  
  
Indeed, it went wrong. The experiment wasn't meant to last, but last it did. Another generation was born, and the males could bear children, and so on and so forth down the line.   
  
Tsunade sighed. She didn't want to know exactly what was done to the Uchiha boys, but she knew that it couldn't have been pretty.   
  
She rose and stood, deciding to have a talk tomorrow with Naruto about safe sex.   
  
- - - - - - - - - - -  
  
[A/N: And there you have it. This is probably the weirdest chapter in the story so far, simply because I felt I had to explain the biology behind the mpreg in this.   
  
(1): This simply does not work. Taking organs out of people who have died due to illness probably isn't the smartest thing, especially if the body hasn't been preserved. Also, it leaves the person who had the organs implanted in them not properly set up for bearing a child, and as an added defect, you would be passing on the genetics of the donor of the organs.   
  
(2): Until the gestational age of 19 weeks (approximately five months), the gender of a baby cannot be determined. If I can recall my grade nine biology right, this is because the chromosones that determine sex aren't yet active, and are held in check until this point by levels of hormones in the mother. Up until the point where the chromosones become active, the baby develops both testes and ovaries. Theoretically speaking, if you could keep the chromosones from becoming active, the baby would continue to develop both sets of gametes. With this method, the "mother" would pass on his own gentics, instead of a donor's, and plausibly pass down the ability to procreate as both male and female to his child. There's some faults with this little theory of mine, but if anything here is glaringly incorrect, please feel free to correct me, because I really don't remember grade nine anymore. =D   
  
Review? =)] 


	5. Last Dawn

(A/N: Thanks for nearly 60 reviews!  
  
Watermelon Gal: lol I love your interpretation of the Tsunade-Naruto "sex talk". lmao Unfortunately, that's not how it goes. Yes, that chapter's probably the strangest out of what I've written so far. =)  
  
Bishiehuggler: I like to explain, because I feel that it does make everything a little more plausible, because theoretically, it's like "proving" it, even despite the impossibility of it. I'm not going to say Sasuke was too malnourished, but I will say that his per cent of body fat was too low to warrant a menstrual cycle and successfully conceive and support a baby. That's not to say he didn't have anything to eat since he was thirteen or so. . .so about five years, but just that he wasn't getting enough. And if you won't take that as an answer, he's a late bloomer. lol  
  
AquaHawk-04: Eh. Actually, I think the weirdness kind of rises and falls, with no clear peak, per say. And don't fear, I am very effective in the category of 'weird'. I think I learned that from my brother. =3  
  
Kaiyo No Hime: I'm glad you like the fic so much. =D  
  
Kurisuteru-chan: Erm...I'm not actually sure if it was or wasn't rape. . .as Sasuke didn't put up much of a struggle...::scratches head in confusion:: Eh, for all purposes, we'll just call it nonconsenual ...which pretty much covers rape to the 'I don't wanna, but it feels good'. ::nods:: I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far.  
  
ChibiCatDemon: I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  
  
ManicReversed: Yup, a biology lesson indeed. I'm glad you're liking the story so far. =)  
  
Kathryn: ::nods:: That's actually one of the faults with the theory I was going to point out earlier, but I'm not exactly sure how to explain the eradication of that problem, so I'm simply going to say that time and evolution did it's thing, and everything got smoothed over in the end. ::nods:: I'm going to say that the Great War was a few hundred years back, so there was time elapsed enough for that to plausible. I actually formed the theory before I saw the problems. Hindsight's always 20/20, ne? I'm glad you find the story interesting despite the mpreg in it, and I'm glad to hear that you'll keep reading. =)  
  
Yuen-chan: Oh, you trust me too much. There's much faulty with that theory, but you don't really need to know how it works in order to understand the plain facts. I simply wrote that explanation because it makes the idea just a little more tangible, and realistic, and not in the way that, well, yanno, that duded just got knocked up with no rhyme or reason, that I find many mpregs seem slightly prone to. And you're not stupid.  
  
Kyuuketsuki-Chan: I'm glad you like the story. =)  
  
keelhaul lizzie: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I'm glad you found the explanation scientific, and at least, somewhat supportive of the idea. =) And no, I don't think Sakura is drooling over anyone in the fic, and I like her when she's not doing that, so I hope I've written her in a more realistic way than that. =)  
  
mistress ethereal: I'm glad you enjoyed the style of my story. I tend to get off on tangents, saying one thing I find somewhat profound and run with it, rather than just dialogue, which helps the characters interact, but doesn't always give the insight into their thoughts and feelings that description can. Description also places tone and mood a little better than dialogue, I find. =)  
  
artemis347: Knowing Sasuke, he'll be quiet for a long, long time. Quite possibly forever. I'm glad you like the story though. =)  
  
Arukiche: I'm glad you like the story. =)  
  
Warnings: References to sex, references to mpreg, sex  
  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 5: Last Dawn  
  
The sun rose, hot over Konoha, promising another blistering September day. Sasuke pondered vaguely if winter was even coming this year. Normally, the wind would have been cooler by now, having started coming from the Northeast. Today, however, was stifling hot, with the breeze still, unable to move the heavy air.  
  
The birds had yet to take to the air and fly South, toward the Ocean, and instead, they were still feeding and some of the young were still in the nest, newly hatched. It seemed that summer had lengthened itself this year, and everything along with it.  
  
He was on the balcony, the cool stones pressing up against his bare feet. The sun beat down on the morning world, the sky turning blood red with the rise. His ebony locks were already sticking to the back of his neck, and the sides of his face.  
  
He'd been up for half-an-hour now, waking just before dawn from another confused nightmare. Sore, and sticky, and sweaty, he'd given thought to the notion of a bath, but had decided that the running water would wake the kitsune-jin prince, despite what a heavy sleeper he seemed to be.  
  
Getting out of the bed had probably been the worst part, his body protesting every movement he made. Once free of the sheets, he noticed that Naruto had left some clothes draped over a chair, along with a note. Curious as to what the prince had in mind, and unwilling to remain nude in the prince's presence in light of his current course of action, he, with some difficulty, manoeuvred over to the chair. He sat in it, his legs unwilling to support him any longer.  
  
He picked up the scrap of parchment, which was very thick and a creamy colour, unlike any paper Sasuke had ever seen. He turned it over and read the messy hand-scrawled message, with the bleeding black ink. Naruto, a prince though he may have been, had obviously never mastered writing.  
  
Still, the message came across to him. 'I want you to wear this,' it said, and it had some sort of little hand-drawn icon with it that looked like a smiling face. Sasuke snorted and dropped the paper, picking up the linen garment, almost angrily. It was light, like cotton, and a perfect white, indicating it had never been worn before. Sasuke unfolded it and stared in horror, indignation and his cheeks flushed with anger. There was absolutely no way in hell he was wearing...this! in front of that...that...  
  
Remembering he was still exposed, he slid the offensive thing over his head. With any luck, he'd bleed all over it and he'd have to throw it out. The fabric was airy and light, and the garment was large and folded itself onto his small frame. It was cinched at the waist, a little too much, so that Sasuke almost couldn't breathe. It ended just above his ankles, the linen kissing his shins. It was a dressing gown, but not just any dressing gown. It was a woman's dressing gown, and Sasuke ruffled at the very thought of being forced down so low. It was borrowed, that much he knew, and Sasuke didn't wonder if it belonged to Hinata, for she would have done anything for the prince.  
  
And thus, that was how he came to be on the balcony. Not wanting to remain in the same room, he'd slipped outside, for he knew that if he tried to even get out of the room, he wouldn't get very far. He'd left the curtains shut, hoping that they'd block him out and Naruto wouldn't see him.  
  
Unless of course, Naruto opened the curtains. Which was so plain Naruto-like that it was the first thing he did and Sasuke cursed his rotten luck.  
  
Naruto merely grinned at him from behind the glass. He sulked and crossed his arms, looking away. The lace trim of the dressing gown rubbed against his bare skin. Silently, he cursed women and their stupid fashions.  
  
He heard the door open and Naruto was on the balcony with him. He did the only sensible thing to do - continue to ignore the blond. Naruto couched down beside him, grinning like an insane fox. "You look cute," he told the dark-haired human.  
  
Sasuke turned to glower at the boy. Naruto just kept grinning. "You know, there are gardeners in the gardens, right?"  
  
Sasuke dropped the glare for a second, his dark eyes widening slightly. Naruto laughed lightly. "It's okay. . .they probably think you're some pretty human girl I found. Not a human boy."  
  
Sasuke fumed, and his cheeks turned red. He turned away from the blond, refusing to be insulted more. Naruto was silent for a moment. They sat, listening to the morning birds singing their songs to the glory of the sun.  
  
The door of the room opened and Naruto turned to look back, then got up and disappeared into the room. Sasuke heard the quiet voices, one male and one female, talking with each other. Naruto emerged onto the balcony again a moment later, looking down at the human perched on the marble stones.  
  
"Come back inside and have some breakfast, Sasuke. You need to eat."  
  
He said nothing in reply. If it would please Naruto for him to eat, then he wouldn't. He had starved before, and he could do it again. Food was not necessary for him.  
  
A warm, strong hand wrapped about his wrist and pulled him up. Naruto was frowning, a sort of worry-anger playing in his eyes. "You're going to eat, Sasuke. You have to feed our child."  
  
Sasuke recoiled, hissing, "No."  
  
Naruto sighed. He knew it was harsh to say to the creature in front of him, but he needed to be harsh to goad the boy into submission. He crouched down and gently placed his hand on Sasuke's cheek, not at all surprised when the boy turned away.  
  
"Sasuke," he growled, becoming annoyed with the human. "Please, listen to what I'm saying -"  
  
Sasuke tried to push him away, tears wetting his eyes. He looked like a scared child, and the sunlight radiating on him made him irresistible. The sun's rays were gentle to him, despite that he was a creature of the night, dark-featured, with a pale complexion, like the moon herself.  
  
"Please, Sasuke, I know, this is strange and -"  
  
The boy was weeping openly now, despite trying to facade behind strength. He fought weakly, trying to push the blond kitsune-jin away. Eventually, Naruto let him and watched as he curled in on himself, crying.  
  
Naruto sighed and pulled the weepy boy to his feet, forcing him to stand. He draped his arms about the shaking shoulders, trying to be soothing, as best he could. "Shush, shush. You'll get used to it."  
  
"I don't want to get used to it," Sasuke growled, misery evident in his voice.  
  
Naruto sighed. He knew the only way he was going to be allowed to keep Sasuke was if the boy actually ended up with his child. It seemed truly the impossible goal, between Sasuke's unyielding defiance and the laws of nature.  
  
By the time Naruto was wed to his fiancee, he would have to get rid of any pleasure slaves he held. It was customary. He'd never had a sex slave, and he didn't intend to. He viewed Sasuke as more of someone he was helping out, not a slave.  
  
But if the boy kept up like this, he was going to be sold into bondage, most likely into the Western deserts, where he'd heard the cruelest kitsune-jins - and humans - lived. The environment was harsh, and so were the inhabitants.  
  
Somehow, that was the last thing Naruto wanted to see. Gods forbid, he was actually starting to care about the stupid human! How utterly pathetic.  
  
Then again, he supposed that he sympathized. There had been a time when he'd almost lost his family, and been forced to live in hiding as a peasant boy. Right after the death of the Sandaime, there had been mass objection to the Yondaime. Some had wanted to see Jiraiya take the throne; others had cheered Tsunade on, which had strained their marriage. Still others were supporters of the Yondaime, and others wanted to see the Sandaime's daughter, Anko, in power.  
  
A lot of rebel fighting had broke out and the Yondaime, who wouldn't have been able to claim the throne without an heir, had to take Naruto into hiding. Tsunade and Jiraiya had gone their separate ways. He vaguely remembered being very hungry, and very dirty in a hovel on the other side of town, though he didn't remember it very clearly.  
  
He supposed Sasuke knew more.  
  
"Stop being so conservative and act like the whore you are," Naruto growled, pulling the startled boy to his feet.  
  
Sasuke could only stare at Naruto, anger and insult written all across his face. "I am not-" he started, but was cut off when the blond kitsune-jin kissed him fiercely.  
  
He felt like a china doll in Naruto's grip, so thin and flimsy. Arms snaked about his pinched waist, then under him, forcing his feet off the ground. Lips were still sealed by lips and Sasuke couldn't breathe. He felt dizzy from lack of oxygen. He pawed feebly at Naruto's shoulder, feeling like he was going to faint.  
  
He was thrown to the bed, landing in an ungraceful heap. Naruto joined him almost immediately, plying his mouth to Sasuke's neck, licking and biting into the pulsing flesh. Sasuke tried to push him away. The reaction was hot-wired into his brain.  
  
Naruto growled, pressing himself into the crook of Sasuke's neck, nuzzling as hard as he could. He was determined to get a positive reaction out of Sasuke. "We can stop," he whispered, then licked his way from the neck to the ear. "If you want," he hissed, wrapping his tongue coyly about the shell of Sasuke's ear.  
  
The dark-haired boy suppressed a shudder, but if he thought Naruto hadn't felt it, he was oh-so-wrong. Naruto smirked and nuzzled more. He gently touched the tips of his fingers to the human's lips, as if to make sure he stayed quiet.  
  
He stroked the base of the boy's neck, making him shudder, more visibly this time. His hands were tangled in the sheets, clenching them tightly. The dark, slanted eyes were shut tight. Naruto grinned and kissed him, then suckled his way down the front of his neck. Nothing more than a whimper escaped the human, but the blond knew he was on the right path.  
  
Grinning wickedly, he lifted up the ebony-haired boy's skirt and slid his head up. While he was doing this, his hands were frantic, groping at Sasuke, all over, paying special attention to the boy's nipples, squeezing and pinching, and when he arrived, his mouth took control of the pink buds.  
  
He sucked, he licked and he made sure his whore liked it. This was about Sasuke. He refused to have an unwilling partner in his bed anymore. Sasuke groaned, a little loudly, and Naruto was almost sure that Hinata, who was down the hall, setting breakfast, must have heard.  
  
He backed off and blew his breath onto the wet bud, making Sasuke shiver. "Mmmhmmm, oh, you like that don't you? Oh, you'll like feeding our baby, won't you?"  
  
He removed himself from Sasuke, then pulled the white dressing gown over Sasuke's head, watching as the boy's expression didn't change - his eyes, wide, slightly dilated, staring blankly, straight ahead, and his mouth open partly, his breath forcing itself in and out.  
  
Naruto grinned. He looked at Sasuke, in his full glory. The human was sprawled out on his bed, sweaty and scattered. Naruto took in the sight of the black-haired geisha, with all his swollen flesh seeking attention in his bed for the first time.  
  
Naruto was over him now, pressing his forehead to Sasuke's. "Do you want me, you dirty whore?" he asked, growling lowly.  
  
Sasuke said nothing, unsure of how to respond. Naruto pressed his hips against the other boy's, feeling the bone there. Sasuke tipped back his head, his mouth open in a silent scream, pressing his own hips upwards.  
  
The prince of kitsune-jins grinned madly. "I'll take that as a yes," he growled.  
  
Three doors down, Hinata blushed and continued setting the table, trying to block from her ears the sounds of fornication with the sounds of clattering plates. She nearly dropped them, she was shaking so badly from embarrassment, and from disappointment. Her mind was making her picture the act, and she was envious. Why couldn't that be her, writhing underneath the prince? Why couldn't she be the one he had chosen to mother his children?  
  
She dropped the plate she was holding when she realized what she was thinking, holding the corner of her apron to her mouth, in a mock sort of horror.  
  
Hastily, to stay further thoughts in that direction, she began to clean up the broken fragments of the plate.  
  
It was a little while later that her prince and his lover entered the room, looking flushed and dishevelled. She kept her eyes down on the floor, muttering only a mandatory, "You're welcome, Uzumaki-sama," and "thank you, Uzumaki-sama," before she disappeared into the hallway.  
  
Sasuke seemed shy at first, sitting at the end of the table, his hands in his lap, his eyes downcast. He kept glancing up, and then back down. Narutp paused in his eating and gestured to his mate. "Go on," he said, sounding almost benevolent. "Eat up."  
  
Sasuke seemed hesitant, and then, reached for one of the sweet rolls. It seemed that the boy was far too busy to chew as he crammed the pastry into his mouth, already reaching for the hard-boiled eggs on the table.  
  
Naruto watched with interest, wondering if this was how Sasuke ate all the time, until he remembered all the boy had to eat the night prior was a slice of cake and a cup of green tea. Sasuke said something, though it was too muffled by his mouthful of food for Naruto to really understand.  
  
Sasuke swallowed, then said, "Pass the pancakes."  
  
He held out his hand to emphasize his point. Naruto hastily passed the human the basket and watched as he heaped the fluffy flapjacks onto his plate, then poured sticky maple syrup all over them.  
  
When Sasuke was finished decimating breakfast, there was nothing left, except a few lonely rejects and a bunch of crumbs.  
  
Naruto could only blink. If this was how the human ate on a regular basis, he could only imagine what it would be like if he ever came into the family way.  
  
Sasuke, on the other hand, had leaned over a bit, huffing and puffing, wishing he'd shown some restraint. He knew for sure now that he was going to be sick.  
  
Hastily, he stumbled to his feet, his head still bowed, still breathing harshly. God, he was going to be so sick...  
  
"E-excuse me," was all he managed, before he sent himself hurtling for the door, down the hall, and for the washroom in the bedchamber.  
  
Naruto stared after the former whore, then got to his feet, and chased after him. He paused just outside the bathroom door, hearing the ugly retching sounds emanating from inside. "Sasuke?" he asked, wincing as he was greeted by only more gagging.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, wincing as he slowly entered the room.  
  
The boy was hunched over the toilet, on his knees, his head practically immersed in the bowl. Naruto nearly retched himself at the stench that the sick made in the room. He laid a hand on Sasuke's shaky shoulder.  
  
Hastily, the human tore a piece of tissue from the roll beside the toilet, wiped his mouth and flushed the mess away.  
  
He turned around, sliding to the floor, shaking and huffing, though he felt better. "I-I...s-sorry," he murmured, wrapping his arms about himself as a sudden chill had taken hold.  
  
"Don't be sorry," Naruto murmured, helping the human up to his feet. "Just be a little more restrained in the future, okay?"  
  
Sasuke nodded a little bit, letting the blond kitsune-jin lead him from the bathroom, back to the bedroom.  
  
"You should lie down," the prince said, guiding the human in the direction of the bed. "You're freezing," he murmured as Sasuke suppressed a shiver.  
  
Sasuke crawled into the re-made bed, for Hinata had apparently cleaned up their mess, and lay down, still shivering. He felt downright rotten.  
  
Naruto pulled the blankets over his mate, tucking him in gently. "Get some rest," he murmured, then shut the drapes and left the room.  
  
Yume crawled out from under the bed, hissing a little, then hopped up onto the bed. She nudged Sasuke's brow with her snout, then grudgingly curled up beside him. She growled a little as the human absently scratched her head.  
  
While the human was resting, Naruto decided to take a run down to the palace doctor, Temari. Temari wasn't much older then himself, maybe eighteen or nineteen at best, but she had mastered all the crucial arts of medicine available in those days. She was an apothecary, a surgeon, a healer, and, some believed, a witch doctor, practised in the dark arts of voodoo, and other such things.  
  
Nonetheless, the young woman was brilliant in her profession, and the entire royal family had trusted themselves in her abilities. Her father had been the Kazekage, who had recently passed away. The Kazekage, though he lived in the Western Deserts, was a distant cousin of the royal family, and a trusted leader, doctor, merchant, hunter, artist, musician - the list went on and on. He had taught the arts of medicine to Temari, his only daughter, because he knew he was going to die someday, and then, the royal family in Konoha should have been without doctor. He had an elder son, to whom he had left his estate. He also had a third child, who had been three quarters human, though no one knew what had happened to this boy.  
  
Temari's green eyes glowed like emeralds in the dark of her cellar laboratory. Unless she was summoned to the royal family, this was where she spent her days. Strange chemicals, a multitude of different herbs and mixtures all lined the walls.  
  
Temari seemed to have been waiting for him, as she sat on the counter, just in front of a near overflowing pot, smirking at him. "Ah, Lord Uzumaki. I've been expecting you."  
  
Naruto felt slightly uneasy, partially because of her comment, and partially because of her gaze, but he shrugged it off and masked it by grinning widely. "Glad to hear it," he chirped brightly, laughing.  
  
Temari laughed a little too. It wasn't because the blond had made a joke, nor was it because his laughter was infectious, but because she knew exactly why the prince of kitsune-jins had come to visit her. She hopped down off the counter and walked toward the prince, who was still shorter than her. "So, Lord Uzumaki, what is it that you require today?"  
  
Naruto put his hands on his head, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Well, you know. . ."  
  
"Is it about the Uchiha?" the medicine woman asked, a flash of something lighting up her eyes, then quickly dying down again.  
  
Sheepishly, Naruto nodded. "Uh...yeah, actually..."  
  
Temari turned to the shelves upon shelves of potions and herbal medicines, and other strange mixtures. She glanced over her shoulder, with a sly smirk. "So, what will it be today, my dear Lord? A potion, perhaps, to make him hopelessly in love with you? Or perhaps a solution to his sleeping problems?"  
  
She waited patiently for Naruto to tell her what he wanted, as she was determined not to be hasty and give him something he actually might have wanted. The blond looked at the floor and scuffed it with his toes. "Uh...well, really, I wanted something...a little different."  
  
Temari raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"  
  
Naruto blushed and raised his eyes. "Er...yeah...I ... was kinda looking for something like...a fertility drug?"  
  
Temari nearly grinned. "Oh, my, troubles with that already?" she murmured, going over the names on the shelf, finding the bottle she wanted.  
  
Naruto blushed harder, though she didn't see. "Well, er...I just wanted to help it along a bit, eh?"  
  
Temari walked back to him, thrusting a bottle full of pills into his hands. "Have him take one of these, once a day, everyday, alright?"  
  
Naruto nodded, taking the bottle into his hands. Temari smirked as she watched him scurry off, obviously eager to present his new miracle drug to the Uchiha. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't yet realized that the apothecary had given him the exact opposite of his request. Instead of a fertility drug to speed along the process, she had given him a form of birth control, which should have prevented the Uchiha from conceiving.  
  
Temari had been plotting this from the first time she'd seen the human. True, he'd been scrawny and beaten then, but nonetheless beautiful, and Temari had vowed that she would have him. She knew that when the prince married, he had to give away all of his sex slaves, and she knew that since he was fond of this one, he wouldn't begrudge giving him to her, because at least he'd stay in the castle. She knew the only way out of that was if the whore conceived Naruto's child, which was quite possible. She hadn't believed it at first, but that had been before she'd been called to look upon Uchiha Itachi.  
  
So, she'd decided that the first time Naruto came for some kind of medicine for the human boy, she'd give him the birth control. She knew it wouldn't take long - the boy had withdrawal problems, insomnia, and so much else wrong with him.  
  
Her plan was flawless. Except if the Uchiha refused to take the stuff.  
  
And because irony loves to crush people, that was exactly what the Uchiha did.  
  
"I'm not taking any more drugs," Sasuke huffed, turning his nose away from the little pill Naruto was trying to condole him into downing.  
  
"Sasuke, hon! It'll increase our chances a child."  
  
Sasuke eyed the pill warily. "Even a better reason not to take it. I don't want to have a child, and I most certainly do not want to be pregnant. Ever."  
  
Naruto felt exasperated. "Sasuke, please. Just take the goddamn pill."  
  
"No."  
  
"Goddamnit!" Naruto screeched, grabbing Sasuke roughly by the jaw and trying to pry his mouth open. "You're gonna take this damn pill, and you're gonna like it!"  
  
Sasuke shook his head from side to side, trying to dislodge Naruto's hands. There was a knock at the door, and both boys paused. Naruto growled. Sasuke used the distraction to snap at Naruto's finger.  
  
"You son of a-" Naruto started, then stopped, and clambered away from Sasuke as the knocking became increasingly persistent.  
  
"Hold your horses!" he yelled to whoever it was, throwing on a robe, then meandering to the door.  
  
Sasuke sat up at bit, making sure he was wrapped in the sheets. Naruto opened the door, a little bit surprised at seeing his grandmother standing in the hall. His gaze narrowed. "What do you want, old hag?"  
  
Tsunade shrugged lightly. "I merely want to speak with you...grandson."  
  
Naruto seemed even more wary now. "If it's about that Harunananan...or whatever her name is, I don't want t-"  
  
"May I come in?" Tsunade asked, rather abruptly, then strode into the room, without waiting for the blond's consent.  
  
She spied Sasuke curled on the prince's bed, covered with the blankets, and with the curtains of the bed slightly drawn. She forced a smile. "Ah, good, you're here too."  
  
Sasuke seemed to find this an odd comment, and cocked his head to the side. Tsunade sat down in the nearest chair. "Well," she murmured. "I wanted to have a talk with you - both of you."  
  
Naruto flopped down on the bed, next to the human, looking at her curiously. Tsunade didn't object to his choice of seating - it would be just as easy if they couldn't see her, and she couldn't see them. She drew a breath. This was slightly embarrassing. Maybe she should have sent her husband to talk to them - he was a pervert, he'd have no qualms.  
  
"Now, I know you're both nearly adults, but I still think you need to be prepared. Especially if the case is as I suspect it."  
  
Nobody said anything in reply to that. Tsunade continued. "Now, I'm sure you're both aware of the Uchiha Curse -"  
  
A cough from one of the boys assured her they knew. Still, she plunged on with her pre-planned monologue. "And if you don't, then you should know that all males in the Uchiha family possess the unique ability to carry a child."  
  
Another cough, followed by a slight whimper and she denoted that the human boy obviously didn't favour this idea. "So, I was wondering if you two had considered birth control."  
  
Another whimper from the human, this time sounding like a thank you, rather than a bad thing, and vaguely, she could see her grandson grinning widely. "Not at all, old hag. In fact, I saw Temari this morning and Uchiha darling here is now on some type of fertility drug."  
  
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "A fertility drug?" she asked, pure curiosity outweighing any scepticism she might have otherwise denoted.  
  
Naruto nodded. Tsunade got up. "What's it called?"  
  
"Er...I dunno."  
  
Tsunade sighed and spotted the bottle Naruto had left on the chest-of-drawers. She meandered over to the furniture, and she picked up the bottle, absently remarking, "You should know what he's taking...what if he's allergic to it?"  
  
"Allergic?" Naruto asked.  
  
Tsunade nodded. "Oh, yes. Humans can be allergic to many, many things, including drugs. That's how we manage to kill a lot of them. Find out what they're allergic to, and how badly, then give them a dose that would be lethal."  
  
"What?" Naruto nearly shrieked.  
  
Tsunade studied the label on the bottle, then dumped a pill or two out, just to confirm her thoughts. "Naruto, you dork ..."  
  
"What?" the blond asked, coming to stand beside the old woman.  
  
"These aren't fertility drugs. These are birth control pills."  
  
Naruto stared in horror. "But...but...Temari must have given me the wrong stuff!"  
  
"Has he had one of these yet?" the female kitsune-jin asked, eyeing her grandson warily.  
  
Naruto shook his head. "Not..," he turned back to glare at the bed, then hollered, "If you dare take that thing, Uchiha, you're dead!"  
  
Naruto stormed back over to the bed, throwing open the curtains and glaring at Sasuke, who promptly dropped the pink pill he'd picked up (which had previously been forgotten), after he'd heard it was birth control.  
  
Naruto snatched it off the floor, grumbling. "I'd better take this stuff back to Temari...get the right stuff."  
  
Naruto continued grumbling and groaning about what a pain in the ass it was to climb up and down all those stairs. Tsunade, in the meantime, wandered over to the bedside.  
  
Sasuke glared at her, and attempted to hide himself again under the covers, but the kitsune-jin woman grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out. She inspected him, raking her eyes up and down his body. He merely glared at her all the while.  
  
"Naruto," she said finally, just as he was about to head out the door.  
  
The blond paused, with his hand on the door knob, and glared. "What is it, old hag?"  
  
"I really don't think pumping him full of drugs is the answer here."  
  
Sasuke nodded, in complete agreement. Obviously, Tsunade was somewhat wiser than her grandson. Or, at least, he thought so, until she continued on.  
  
"You should be able to impregnate him without any trouble."  
  
"No!" Sasuke cried, pulling away and burying himself under the blankets.  
  
Tsunade smiled at her grandson, almost gently. Naruto was still grumpy. "Well, I've still got to get rid of this stuff, or he'll down it all. As you can see, he really couldn't care less about his royal connections."  
  
Tsunade took the bottle out her grandson's grasp. "It's good to see you have such an interest in keeping with the family line. I'll take this for you."  
  
With that, she was gone, into the hall, leaving Naruto stare after her in confusion, then to return to Sasuke.  
  
Tsunade sighed. "Oh, it's good to see his desires in continuing the family line, but not with that goddamn human!"  
  
--------------  
  
[A/N: And another chapter is finished. This story is complete on my computer, and it's a hundred and thirty odd pages long...xX I'm going away for a week, though, so don't expect any updates from August 16th - 22nd. Maybe after that. =) R&R,but don't kill my inbox, eh? =D 


	6. The Simplicity Complex

(A/N: As ffnet is now eating everything, or so it seems, I'm uploading this in .wpd format, as that's what I use to type this thing anyways, and scene changes will now be marked by a horizontal rule, provided ffnet doesn't eat those too. =)

xX Thanks for nearly 70 reviews!

keelhaul lizzie: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. =)

bleedformee: Yes, the story is done, but there's this complicated matter of replying to the reviewers and proof-reading and stuff like that, and the added trials that throws at me, by not liking to upload my stuff anyways. It always crashes. -- Anyways, by posting the chapters one by one, you get more reviews! =D ::is a review whore, and freely admits it::

ManicReversed: Poor, poor Sasuke indeed, although I won't tell you if you're right or wrong with that guess. =)

Watermelon Gal: Naruto in Chinese? I could always turn on the Chinese subtitles on my DVD....not that I'd understand either the subtitles or the audio! =D

Bishiehuggler: Yay for brownies! ::stock piles it, as she doesn't need more food as she had too much on vacation:: Temari isn't ebil...just conniving. =3 Gaara does make another appearance, though not in Temari's presence. So, no beating of the Gaara. =( Woe is us.

Kaiyo No Hime: But making you wait is so much fun! =D

artemis347: Let's all pity Sasuke. =) And I'm not sure what this 'anti' that you speak of is, but I'm sure I'll finally figure it out sometime when I'm doing something completely unrelated to this fic. XD

Yuen-chan: Here's hoping you found something constructive to do while you waited for pokey old me. O.o;;;

And now, on with the fic!)

Chapter 6: The Simplicity Complex

"Well, darling," Naruto quipped, snuggling closer to the human boy in his bed, who looked paler than a ghost. "It may be time for you to finally see a doctor."

Sasuke only glared, which was intensified by how tired and ill he looked. It was eight o'clock and it was dark outside, signalling the end of summer in Konoha. The nights brought frost, and most of the plants had died off. The animals were hibernating, or going away to wherever they went, and nothing lived except the few leaves that clung miserably to the bare tree branches as they shook in the bitter wind and cold rain. The air had gotten very cold, and snow was almost imminent.

So, when the human boy had first started ailing, they'd thought it had been a flu, or something of that sort. The sickness had persisted for several weeks now, however, and Naruto was finally beginning to believe he'd achieved his goal.

Hinata had said Sasuke looked paler than normal; Tsunade had commented dryly on how morning sickness wasn't aptly named, and could occur at any point in the day, for Sasuke had been throwing up mostly in the evening, and refused to believe that it was a symptom of pregnancy.

Orochimaru had pointed out the mood swings the boy was prone to; Itachi had commented on the boy's newfound subduedness; Jiraiya had actually complained about all the food that the human boy was eating - then gagging back up, calling it a total waste; Yondaime had made several comments to Naruto on how the former whore seemed. .. changed; Kakashi had said it was easier to make the boy blush, and that he seemed almost shy.

Naruto had noticed most of these things, and in conjunction, found that the human was constantly tired, sore and achy, and just a tad out of it. Despite what people thought, Naruto was actually fairly observant.

Now, all he needed was the confirmation from Temari. Sasuke was loathe to go though, not wanting to hear the fateful news. Tomorrow wasn't a good day anyways. They were expecting the arrival of Haruno Sakura, and her party.

Naruto was more than jittery about her arrival. He didn't know her, and he wasn't sure he wanted to, let alone marry her. Besides, with his supposedly pregnant bedmate by his side, why should he ask for a girl he didn't know to be his queen?

None of his family members could provide him with that answer. Tsunade had stated that a child needed to be raised by a man and a woman, not two men. Jiraiya had claimed that women were better in bed, better for children, better in bed, and so on and so forth. The Yondaime said he couldn't go to the throne with a boy - a human boy - as his queen.

Naruto was sitting up, and while Sasuke was glad for the company, he was not happy about Naruto's jitters. Especially not right now, when he was sick and miserable, and jittery about his own fate. He was up nightly now, and normally, the blond refused to listen to him and conked out. Sasuke was then left to his own bitter company, worrying about what would happen to him if he was, or wasn't carrying the prince's child.

He sighed and rolled over, not wanting to listen to another second of Naruto's pitiful whimpering about his impending meeting with his fiancee. "Oh, shut up," he grumbled. "You're not the only one in the world with problems."

Naruto paused in his ceaseless ramble, and looked, almost shocked, at the dark-haired boy, who was curled up in his bed. "What do you mean by that?" he growled, wondering what on earth Sasuke was so...pissed off about.

Sasuke turned back over and glared, propping himself up on an elbow. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all," and the bitterness was evident in his voice. "Except, I feel like shit, and everyone thinks I'm pregnant. Do you know what that's doing to my psychology?"

"Who cares about your psychology!"

Sasuke sighed. "I figured. You don't get it."

"Get what?"

"Did...you ever think it might be strange for me? I'm a boy, boys don't get pregnant. And if I, by some ungodly power, can, why didn't it happen before? I've worked as a whore for so long. . .And what makes you think I'm fit to be a mother? I've spent every hour of my day thinking of no one but myself. I've done drugs. I might be sick - who knows? I don't even feel like a boy anymore. I feel...degraded...and...desexed. I'm not sure who I am. What I am."

Naruto listened intently to everything Sasuke was telling him, because it was rare that the boy actually talked, let alone talked about how he was feeling. "Why?" he murmured.

Sasuke gave him a tired, half smile. "Let's say I am pregnant. What does that make me? I've got...those parts...and then I've got the ability to carry a child, which is a female attribute. So, am I male or female?"

Naruto looked bemused. "I...don't know."

"Exactly," Sasuke sighed, looking at the ceiling. "It's very frustrating. Besides, what's in it for me? I mean, I get to lose my identity, blow up to outrageous proportions, suffer through every little ache and pain - and don't tell me there's not; Itachi's been complaining like's there's no tomorrow - and then go through the pain of labour. For what?"

Naruto smiled gently and petted Sasuke's dark locks. "You get to be the bearer of my heir."

Sasuke blew his breath out, seemingly exasperated. "Well, what if I miscarry? What if I die during labour? What if the baby's stillborn? What if -" Sasuke paused, almost wincing, then ploughed on. "What if you decide to take the kid away from me? What if you decide your wife is better suited to raise the child that will be king some day?"

Naruto just grinned. "You think too much. Relax and we'll see Temari soon. Then you'll have to deal with it. We'll deal with it when we cross those bridges."

* * *

Haruno Sakura sat in the parlour. Her eyes, emerald in their hue, darted about the room, noting every detail. The place had been owned by humans, built by humans. She could see it in their artwork, in the architecture, and even still faintly smell them there, in that room. 

It was disgusting.

All her life, she had been taught that humans were the most wretched creatures on earth. Living in the North, where things were far more harsh than in the South, the humans were far worse off, and she came to believe that humans were their playthings, and their slaves. It had been the will of nature.

Of course, she only believed that until she walked into the room.

From all the attendants the prince had sent her, this one stood out. She was a human, that much was for sure, and even in maid's uniform, she was stunning. Her ebony hair was all neatly tucked up under her cap. Her uniform was pristine, and unrumpled. Her face was unblemished, her porcelain skin attributing her refined features. Her make-up was flawless and she kept her dark eyes downcast.

She was breathtaking.

It almost scared her, that a human could be that pretty. In her home land, all humans were ugly, marred by dirt and hard labour. It scared her that her new husband-to-be had a human associate, and a pretty one at that.

She finally snapped out of her stupor, realizing that she'd been asked if she wanted tea by one of the kitsune-jin girls. She stuttered a reply, one which she couldn't remember now, and tried to be more attune to the world, while still watching the human out of the corner of her eye.

She wondered where her two attendants, her ladies-in-waiting, had gotten to. They'd been separated upon entering the castle grounds, and she now suspected Ino and Tenten had been sent to make up the quarters she'd be staying in until she was married. It was not considered proper for a man and a woman to sleep together before marriage.

At any rate, she was left with these strangers, in a strange place, and what was worse, there was a human in their midst. She was handed a cup of warm tea, and she took it, almost gratefully, warming her cold hands on the hot mug.

It was a bitter night, with the winds howling, and the first snowfall of the southern season occurring. In the North, when she'd left, they'd had their first five centimetres of snow, covering the ground. She'd heard later that the first blizzard had occurred just a day and half after her departure.

Behind her, the fire roared, and the blankets nestled about her feet were woven of the best quality, and the wicked winter night couldn't have been more forgotten.

There was a space of five minutes or so, where she was left in the room, with none but the human servant. The silence had been ill, as if the human was silently trying to will her away. In order to break that angry quiet, she spoke.

"Human," she growled, narrowing her eyes and allowing the human to see that she wasn't in favour of the other either.

The girl said nothing, keeping her eyes downcast. Sakura gripped the edge of her chair, digging her nails into it. "What's your name?"

The human girl said nothing, but shook her head in a negative sign, indicating she wouldn't speak. Sakura felt her temper flare up. How dare a human - a human, the lowest of all things - defy her!

"Tell me your name!" she snarled, standing up and crossing the floor.

She grabbed the girl by her chin, forcing her to look up, and digging into the porcelain skin hard enough to leave marks. Still, the girl, with trained discipline, wouldn't look her in the eye. Slowly, she murmured, "My name is of no importance to you."

The statement was supposed to be condoling, something to lower herself and humble the human before the kitsune-jin, but it sounded impervious and rude. The blush-haired kitsune-jin gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, then, without better thought, slapped the girl's cheek.

"I don't stand for insolence," she growled, then hastily returned to her seat, straightening her skirts, as the door opened and the servant girls returned, this time with the prince amongst them. The human girl remained on the floor, a hand pressed to her cheek, eyes downcast.

Sakura turned her attention away from her, and to her husband-to-be. She smiled politely, and he smiled back, and she grew nervous, because the prince of Konoha wasn't at all like she had pictured him.

The Naruto of her mind had been tall and gracious, with fine features, and a noble face. This creature in front of her now shattered that daydreaming illusion. The Naruto of reality was short, and his face was still that of a child's, helped none by his large eyes and wild hair.

He had knelt down in front of her and taken her hand, and she could feel the nervous sweat that clung to his palm like a second skin. "My dear lady," he murmured, pressing his lips to the back of her hand.

She pulled away as if she'd been stung. She had been well versed in the operations of meeting her fiancé, and this was not one of them. Perhaps their Southern cousins did not have the same rituals as in the North? She giggled nervously, and her eyes darted about the room, searching desperately for her handmaids.

She glanced back down at the prince, and saw that he was waiting for a response. She blinked a couple of times, trying to think of something to say to him. She had known her lines in and out, and now, the script had been thrown out the window.

A sudden commotion amongst the servant girls drew his attention away, and she was no longer required to answer. The prince was to the other side of the room in a flash, and Sakura could only stare in disgust and horror.

The kitsune-jins maids were trying to support the damned human, who looked like she was going to faint. They clamoured a bit, unsure of what to do with this thing, who was swaying on her feet.

One of them seemed a little more competent, and she held command of the room, though she was soft-spoken and quiet. Sakura realized belatedly that the head maid must have been a Hyuuga, for her white eyes could have belonged to no other.

The little group of maids dispersed a bit, some of them wandering to cater to the kitsune-jin lady in their midst, while the Hyuuga girl and the prince fussed over the human. Sakura could only curl her nose as she watched her husband-to-be take the weight of the human against himself, allowing the kitsune-jin maid to dash out of the room, probably to get smelling salts.

Sakura absently found that someone was filling her teacup, but she could not draw her eyes away from the scene before her, even as the prince began practically undressing the human girl. She'd heard that the Uzumaki family could be quite lewd, and she believed it now.

Fortunately, as she later discovered, this was no display of lust or carnal love, but rather, the human had her corset fastened too tightly, and couldn't breathe. Naruto had recognized this and untied the thing as quickly as he could, and the poor thing inhaled deeply.

Unfortunately, the revelation of the thing's skin also brought Sakura more revelation than she had wanted. The human was no girl. The human was a boy, the prettiest damn boy she had ever seen, and that frightened her more.

If her husband had a boy that pretty in his grasp, what chance did she have. She knew she wasn't anything above average in the kitsune-jin world, but she had noble blood, and wore riches and jewels to disguise her blandness.

But, if Naruto had taken a boy, a human boy into his home, did that not cancel out any attraction he might have held to a female of any species?

She couldn't decide and distractedly sipped her tea.

Later, when she returned to her room, she was swarmed by her ladies-in-waiting, who had been patiently waiting for the princess-to-be to return.

Ino clasped her hand excitedly and dragged her toward the bed, eagerly asking her to tell all about her future husband. Sakura was less than enthusiastic to tell what she had seen, for she was still thinking, and still sorely disappointed in Konoha's prince.

"Was he handsome?"

"Was he tall?"

"Did he have dark hair?"

"What colour were his eyes?"

"Was he nice?"

Both Tenten and Ino were clamouring over her now, but stopped a moment or two later, seeing that they were getting no answers from the future princess. They shared a glance, then Ino looked at Sakura and said, almost softly, "Should you like us to go?"

The pink-haired girl nodded, still looking at the floor. Ino and Tenten shared another look, then left without another word. Once outside their charge's chambers, they began whispering to each other, pondering what had happened to make her so down and out.

* * *

Sasuke headed down the hall, treading softly, not wishing anyone to hear him now. He'd left the prince sleeping safely in his chambers, after enduring a rant about how beautiful and wonderful Sakura was.

Sasuke couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, though he wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't as if he liked the kitsune-jin or anything.

And with that in mind, he was going to see the only other human he knew of in the castle, his brother. The thought was still strange to him, after having been separated from anything akin to himself for so long, and he found himself half excited by the idea of still having family, but half nervous as well.

The two times he'd seen his elder Uchiha, he'd been out of it, once nearly having been raped and the second, having been sound asleep. Now, he was wide awake, his mind wandering and wondering.

He was trying hard to reign it in, because he was now torn over certain issues. It would be a relief to be rid of Naruto, and his constant advances, but he didn't really want to be sold into slavery, as he'd been told he would be. He was glad that Sakura would have to endure Naruto, and not himself, but he found himself entertaining the idea that he might miss the blond kitsune-  
jin. Last but not least, he was fond of the idea of bidding farewell to all this ridiculous pregnancy notion. On the other hand, of course, he couldn't help but think of what it might be like to have kin again, and he certainly was in favour of that.

He had wandered aimlessly for a while now, until he'd worked up the courage to ask a passing maid where he could find Uchiha Itachi, and she had told him to find 'Orochimaru-sama's' chambers, and when he'd looked stupefied, she'd told him where - exasperated, of course.

It was a little after midnight when he found himself standing in front of the door to the chambers that housed his brother, and he pondered whether or not to knock, because it was late. He shifted on the cold stones, the coldness seeping up through his feet, and freezing him entirely.

The thought that there might be carpeting in the room made up his mind and he set his fist to the door, then stood back and waited. With each passing second, his nervousness grew and he was contemplating running away as fast as he could when the door opened.

He shifted in sheer terror when he saw Orochimaru - the general, and he remembered quite clearly in his mind now that he had met him. The snake-like man glared at him, golden eyes narrowed.

Sasuke shifted, feeling much like a small child. "May I help you?" the older asked, sarcasm positively dripping from his venomous voice.

Sasuke directed his gaze to the floor, unable to stand that gaze any longer. He mumbled something, that only the stones and himself would later know. Orochimaru hissed. "Look brat, it's late. Run along. I'm not going to play games with you."

Sasuke's head snapped up at that, his eyes narrowed in anger. "I want to see my brother," he said, a little too loudly for his liking, the walls making his announcement resound. He winced.

Orochimaru stared at him for a second, then said, as if in recognition, "You're the whore the prince dragged in, aren't you?"

Sasuke went terribly red, then nodded, now unable to look the general in the eye again. He was not proud of his background.

The general stepped aside, granting the younger Uchiha access to the room. Sasuke looked at him, hesitating on taking the offer for a moment, then padded quickly, yet quietly into the room.

The door squealed on its hinges, and shut with a soft click, trapping Sasuke inside. The only way to go now was forward.

Orochimaru watched the hesitant boy, nearly shaking his head at how stupid and unsure the creature seemed to be. Could this really be the brother of the great Uchiha Itachi, who had nearly single-handedly murdered the assassins sent to destroy his family?

Growing testy and annoyed again, he swept by Sasuke, motioning for him to follow. "This way," he growled, annoyance clear in his voice.

He could almost hear Itachi now. The Uchiha had been nothing but a bitch for the past few weeks and it was slowly starting to grate on his nerves. He was sorely tempted to finally give up the ornament that warmed his bed and slit his throat himself - if he hadn't known Itachi was in the same murderous mood, he might have.

"Be quiet," he added as an after thought, remembering how Itachi might have been sleeping, like a normal person at this time, and he wasn't a pleasant person to wake up.

Behind him, though he couldn't see him, Sasuke nodded, keeping his eyes downcast, trying to force the nervousness building inside him the same way - down. He didn't know his brother, and he wasn't really sure he would want to see the results of their family curse.

Vaguely, he recalled his brother, always thinner than himself, and to see him like that seemed grotesque and odd.

He nearly walked right into Orochimaru, who had paused outside a closed door, and was currently rapping lightly on the door. "Itachi," he was saying, and his voice seemed to shake Sasuke from his thoughtful stupor. "Are you asleep?"

"I was," came the grumbled reply.

Sasuke glanced up at the general, and saw him sigh, though whether in relief or annoyance, he would never know. The general opened the door, and stepped inside, and the younger followed him stupidly into that most private of chambers.

Uchiha Itachi was perched atop the bed, glaring at the general, though he didn't appear to be angry - merely annoyed. He was half-wrapped in the heavy covers of the bed, and his hair had been pulled out of its usual ponytail to become tangled as he slept.

Greedily, Sasuke let his eyes rake over his brother's form, half afraid, half waiting to see the tell-  
tale signs that would let him know whether or not the curse was a myth, or a truth.

He could make out nothing, and half of him was relieved. The other half of him, he was surprised to find out, was somewhat disappointed. He couldn't place why, though, and it bothered him.

Itachi was completely ignoring him at the moment, favouring talking - or rather, berating Orochimaru for waking him up at such an unholy hour of the night. Orochimaru merely rolled his eyes, and looked exasperated.

Itachi turned on Sasuke suddenly, his eyes red and tainted with the trait of their bloodline. Sasuke felt fear flood his veins, even against his will. It was hard not to - that was the given gift of the bloodline, to instill fear with a mere glance.

"Why are you here?"

The question held no gentleness, no curiosity, just plain annoyance, which was probably all Itachi could muster after being woken shortly after midnight. Sasuke said nothing in reply and bowed his head, unable to look his older brother in the eye.

"He's here to see you," Orochimaru explained, vaguely, with a bit of a shrug. He didn't know anything beyond that, and he wasn't going to guess.

Itachi muttered something and slithered out of bed, landing heavily on the floor, and partially stomped his way toward the younger boy, his bad mood hanging over him like a cloud. Sasuke could do nothing, but stand there terrified, and absolutely positive that the older was going to pull a knife or strangle him, or something.

"Itachi," came the chiding voice of Orochimaru and both brothers looked at the gold-eyed general.

The older Uchiha sniffed indignantly and looked away, eyes narrowed and fixed on the wall. Orochimaru continued to look at the human in the most chiding way possible, even though Itachi was pointedly keeping him out of his line of vision.

"You know you're not supposed to do that," he pressed, waiting for the human to cave and apologize.

He was only hurting something precious in the end.

"Whatever," Itachi snapped.

He glanced at Sasuke and took a step toward the younger boy, then seemingly changed his mind and made his way back to the bed, sneering at Orochimaru as he went. Never one to stand for an insult, Orochimaru remedied the situation by quickly slapping Itachi's rear end as hard as he possibly could.

The elder Uchiha yelped in surprise and literally dove into the bed, then glared at him, while the younger could only stare in horror at such an act. Orochimaru smirked slyly at the human occupying his bed and said, "Your dear brother came to see how you were fairing, darling."

The serpentine man glanced toward the younger human. "Didn't you?"

Sasuke swallowed nervously and nodded numbly. His brother's eyes were back on him now, and he couldn't bear to look, in fear that he get caught in that blood trap again.

"You did?"

Itachi sounded unimpressed. Again, Sasuke nodded.

Orochimaru turned to Itachi and grinned widely. The human just looked at him blankly. "Go on. Show him."

Sasuke glanced up from under his bangs, watching, and slightly wondering, though he was pretty sure he understood what was going on. He felt strangely excited.

Itachi said nothing, at all, and made no movement. Orochimaru rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed. "Do I have to do everything for you?" he asked, in a mocking sort of exasperation.

Itachi pulled away from him, almost instantly. "I don't want to show him," he grumbled, sounding like he was sulking.

"Show him," Orochimaru hissed in Itachi's ear, slithering up to the human, placing a hand on the human's abdomen, causing him to squirm in discomfort.

"Fine," he all but hissed, struggling out of his master's grasp, then tugging his nightshirt over his head.

Orochimaru grinned. "There's a good boy..."

Sasuke glanced from left to right, his head still lowered. He was still too scared to move, so he stood there, stupidly, feeling very out of place.

There was the sound of fabric hitting carpet - Itachi's shirt, he supposed - and his brother's voice calling to him, "Come here."

Sasuke scuttled across the floor, still not looking up lest what he should see scare the living daylights out of him, or something along those lines and end up killing him. He heard someone sigh in annoyance, and the elder Uchiha said, "Hurry up."

Sasuke clambered onto the bed, still keeping his gaze downcast. A hand reached out and grabbed his chin, dragging his head up. He stared at Itachi, who's eyes had faded to black. "It helps when you watch where you're going," he said, almost bored, though there was some vague hint of humour in his voice.

That was lost, however, when the younger brother stared at the older a second too long. Itachi huffed, crossed his arms and looked away. "Well, would you look already? I'm cold."

Sasuke blinked, then seemed to remember his reasons for seeing his only living relative in the first place.

And his gaze plunged down.

He wasn't sure whether to be sick, or to laugh, or to be rather amazed.

Uchiha Itachi was pregnant.

It wasn't pronounced yet, as Sasuke had been led to believe by the others around him, but then, he supposed his brother was hiding it as well as he could, as he didn't seem exactly comfortable with it. He could only wonder what would happen when it couldn't be hidden any more - he supposed the other would just have to live with it.

Hesitantly, he glanced up at his brother, who's face was set in a scowl, and his gaze was still turned away, then reached out and touched the bump. Itachi jerked his head to look at him, startled by the action.

Sasuke wondered what had possessed him to touch the older boy, even as he lightly rubbed what was his nephew or niece, pausing to press against his brother's navel, which was starting to turn out.

A wave of shock and horror crashed down upon the younger boy, and he clapped his hand to his mouth, sitting back, eyes wide. The older males looked at him blankly.

"Oh...god," he said, his voice shaking terribly.

Like lightening, he was on his feet, dashing out of the room, and heading for Naruto's chambers as fast as he could. His heart was tripping and he felt dizzy and sick, and he was probably going to faint, but adrenaline kept him going, at least until he was safe inside Naruto's room.

He collapsed to the floor, breathing hard, still shaking, his head still spinning with the new information his mind had just absorbed. Unsteadily, he got to his feet and tottered into the bathroom.

He vomited before he reached his goal and collapsed onto his knees, then altogether, stretching out across the floor in a dead faint.

[A/N: Okay, not much happened there. R&R anyways? =D]


	7. The Lies of Jealousy

* * *

(A/N:: Thanks for 75 reviews!  
  
Kaiyo no Hime: Yes, poor, poor Sasuke. lol And Sakura is a bitch, but she's feeling a little insecure and a little threatened, so can we blame her? [Yes. lol]  
  
watermelon gal: Yes, the Uchihas were mostly whores. And there's this wonderful thing called birth control. As for Itachi not being. . ."in that way" before, he was simply too young. ;;; And I never actually go on to say that in the story. O.o;;; Glad you like the chapter.  
  
artemis347: Yes, pity them! Bwhahaha! I'm joking. Thanks for clarifying what you meant by 'anit', though I did eventually figure it out. . .while I was at work, doing something completely unrelated to this fic. =D I'm glad you like the fic!  
  
Aisha: I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope Frances didn't hit you guys too hard. . .I don't pay much attention to the news. . I'm glad you're enjoying the fic. =D  
  
Mister Pineapple: Eh heh. If you think that's bad, you should read the later chapters of this thing. . . I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. =)  
  
keelhaul lizzie: Heh. Sakura does come off as a bit of a bitch, but she's got her back up because she's in a new place, she knows nobody, and there's this very pretty human in her husband-to-be's harem. Kinda would put me at unrest - 'why would somebody want me when he's got that? Better put her in her place, and now.'Glad you're enjoying the fic!  
  
dark hanyou: Actually, it isn't possible, except from conception to the fifth month of pregnancy, and at that point, both sets of reproductive organs are non-functional. But. . .I can make stuff up right? It is only fiction. =D Yes! Go Sasunaru! Or Narusasu as some prefer.  
  
Warnings: Crappy chapter title ::dies from it:: and. . .some new characters being very OOC, likely.  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 7: The Lies of Jealousy  
  
Temari was busy grinding herbs and other such things, preparing a mixture for a patient, when the door to her laboratory was thrown open, and two people entered the room, one, a kitsune-jin by the name of Uzumaki Naruto and the other, a human by the name of Uchiha Sasuke.  
  
She turned to them, still mixing together the ingredients she needed for this particular medicine, even as she greeted them. She could practically smell the fear emanating from the human boy. The results of her tests would determine his fate.  
  
This would answer whether or not he stayed at the palace in Naruto's bed, or was sold to some other kitsune-jin master; whether or not he was placed to the same fate as his brother.  
  
"Good morning, Naruto," she said cheerfully, setting down the mixing bowl and bowing to the prince. "Up bright and early, aren't we? How can I be of service to you today?"  
  
Naruto gestured to the dark haired human standing beside him. "I'd like to find out if Sasuke will be remaining with us, Temari-sensei. I think adequate time has elapsed - you can test him and find out."  
  
"Of course, Naruto," the apothecary said, glancing sideways at the human.  
  
He was so exquisite, even as nervous as he was. His dark hair was obscuring his dark eyes, and it was the perfect contrast to his pale complexion. She wanted him, and it was only going to be a matter of time before she had him.  
  
Sasuke seemed bashful, and almost shy. He did as he was instructed to, without question and without fail, but he refused to answer Temari's questions, looking to the side, at Naruto, who answered for him.  
  
Temari took what she needed from him, then set about testing it. Though her father had been wise in the ways of medicine, he had never shown her anything to do with the family way, and she had learned everything she knew from her deceased mother's scrolls, which were filled with everything imaginable on the subject. Even the Uchiha Curse had been included.  
  
She spilled the small canister of blood across the specialized paper, spreading it across it so that it became an even coat. The paper would turn blue if the boy was with child, and a red, almost pink, if he wasn't. The paper was made to react with certain levels of hormones, one found typically in pregnant women, and the other, found in males.  
  
She stood back, waiting for Sasuke's blood to change the paper. It took a good quarter of an hour, she knew, but she was impatient to see what the boy's fate was. She watched it for a moment or two, then, knowing that staring like that would only make her more impatient, she turned back to her patient and smiled.  
  
"We have to wait fifteen minutes," she said, almost gently.  
  
Sasuke nodded, and kept his eyes down, which was a shame in her opinion, because he had such beautiful eyes. Naruto's hand was entwined with the human's, and the blond kitsune-jin gave it a gentle squeeze, as if giving him some reassurance.  
  
The clock hands counted down the seconds slowly. Tick-tock, tick-tock, and the endless silence was broken only by that steady rhythm.  
  
At last, Temari turned back to see the paper, and noted that it had changed colour. She stared at it for a moment, then registered what the colour meant and turned back, saying, almost sympathetically, "It's negative. I'm sorry."  
  
Sasuke said nothing, removing himself from her table as quickly as he could, and nearly running for the door. Naruto shook his head and started after the human, looking almost sorrowful. He was almost out of the door, when someone grabbed his hand.  
  
He whirled around to look the blonde girl in the eyes. "Prince," she started. "I know it's customary for the married kitsune-jin to rid himself of all bed-slaves, unless they are with his child. Since the test was negative, you will have to give him up, no?"  
  
Naruto looked at her, as if studying her for a moment, then nodded curtly. "That's right."  
  
He sighed. "I was almost sure though..."  
  
He started to walk away, pulling out of the girl's grip. Temari latched on again, squeezing his wrist tightly. "Would you consider leaving him to me? I mean, I believe it should be better for the both of you, in the end. You would know that he is in good care, and he shouldn't have to leave the palace!"  
  
The girl's hope was crushed, however, by the prince's next words. "I'm sorry, but we must sell him, to whomever will pay the highest price for him. I doubt that you should be able to match some of the kitsune-jin lords' wagers."  
  
Temari scoffed. "Why on earth would anyone pay a high price for a human like that?"  
  
Naruto smiled a little. "He was of a noble, and now extinct bloodline. He was a bed-slave, and is trained already. He can carry child, so interactions with him are not fruitless. Do you see, Temari? His lineage drives his price up."  
  
Temari looked almost disappointed. "Oh," was all she could say, slowly releasing his hand.  
  
Naruto grinned brightly. "But tell you what! If we can't find a buyer for him, I'll make sure he goes to you! Okay? I love the idea, but it's just all these stupid rules."  
  
Temari smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Naruto," she near whispered, and then he was gone, like a leaf on the autumn wind.  
  
She shook her head, knowing full-well that they would find a buyer for the Uchiha, and that would be the last she ever saw of him.

* * *

Yondaime kept his eyes on the papers in front of him, rather than the creature that was slumped in a seat in front of him. The words were all blurred in front of his unfocussed eyes, his thoughts drifting to other places than print.  
  
He was still mad at Naruto, though it was hard to be. He had thought he'd brought the boy up well, he thought he'd taught him how to be a fitting prince, and a better king. However, Naruto had just thrown all those thoughts back in his face, by first disobeying him, and then by disobeying the law, by consorting and sleeping with a human being.  
  
And not just any human being. A human boy, the last of the accursed Uchiha, a whore, a drug addict and a criminal. Of all the humans in the world, and by Kyuubi, there must have been thousands, for they were like the plague, Naruto had to choose that one.  
  
It had been a fair secret for a day or two, and he had been hoping silently that the maids and servants that attended to Naruto would keep their mouths shut, but oh no, why would they do that? Some idiot had to open his big mouth and tell the press that the prince of kitsune-jins had the lowest human warming his bed, and the next morning, when the Yondaime had picked up his morning paper and settled in to read it with his morning coffee, there it was, plastered all over the front page.  
  
And so it had been for the past month or so, with all sorts of different, sick and twisted headlines to soil the name of Uzumaki. By Kyuubi, Naruto had gone and done it this time, and he was just waiting for the kitsune-jin elite, who had been plotting to over-throw their corrupted monarchy to put their plans to action.  
  
From the tabloids, which talked nothing but trash and spouted lies, to the most respectable newspaper in Konoha, the prince and the human was the most popular story, whether or not the facts were still intact in the story the editors ran.  
  
The people who read them, and that included almost all of the kitsune-jin populous and a small portion of the humans, the teachers and healers and such, were talking now, and they were spreading the rumours and the lies, and it was growing, like a dark shadow, and it threatened to consume the monarchy and end the line.  
  
They were talking, because it had to be the truth, for it was there in black and white. He wished the newspapers would print their words in red or blue ink, for then, they wouldn't be believable because they were not black and white.  
  
The long suffering ordeal was almost through, though, now and he had finally stepped in to finish it. Naruto was going to cut the strings on this human, and turn him loose, then tie his own strings to Haruno Sakura, and all would be right in the world. The monarchy would continue, with a strong match to serve as the next king and queen, and an heir was almost not preventable.  
  
Uchiha Sasuke was not with child, and so, as kitsune-jin law decreed, to be turned over to a new master for a price and all would be forgotten.  
  
Yondaime tried to study the papers in front of him - bids, from various wealthy lords scattered across his empire. He was half surprised to find an application from Inuzuka Kiba, and he doubted the Lord had bid for his own purpose, but had perhaps been willed by Hinata, his wife, who had possibly been swayed by Naruto.  
  
There was another problem that would have to be dealt with. Though she was married and happily so, Hinata was smitten to her prince, and if Naruto ever became unhappy with his union to Sakura, he could easily sway Hinata to come to bed with him - a scandalous act indeed. Naruto was no wizard with words, but Hinata was bound enough that even the coarsest of words would see submission from her.  
  
He found himself peering over the edges of the paper, no longer reading the names or the bids on them, but rather, studying the human.  
  
Sasuke was pointedly not looking at him, out of some sort of respect, though in passing, the Uchiha had shown that he held no respect for the kitsune-jins nor their king. The old human superiority complex still lingered with the boy, and he felt that the kitsune-jins had no sway over the humans.  
  
He found himself comparing the Uchiha to his long deceased wife. The same complexion, the same hair - even the air of quiet indifference seemed so heartbreakingly similar to him. Unknowingly, he sighed softly, causing the human to glance up at him.  
  
The eyes. The eyes were different and it shattered his almost wistful illusion. He cleared his throat and looked down. He spread the sheets of paper out across his desk, his eyes scanning the print, the words and figures he needed to know.  
  
The human whore was staring at him now, and the silence had become thick and impending, indicating a sort of doom, and the tension.  
  
They kept silent though, for a long while and eternity seemed to stretch out before them. They would never end this interview soon enough.  
  
Too long was too long for Sasuke and he stood up, heading to the door of the small office, silently excusing himself. Yondaime glanced up at him, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Sit down, Uchiha. You haven't been excused."  
  
Sasuke sneered a little, beyond the point of being politely disrespectful. "I believe I have been dismissed. You obviously have nothing to say to me, nor I to you, so I'll be on my way and rid you of my plaguing presence."  
  
Annoyance seeped into the teenager's sarcastic voice, and then the door slammed shut behind him, leaving Yondaime alone in his office. The ruler of Konoha sighed and looked at the papers again. This time, a winner of the alleged auction was apparent to him.  
  
Uchiha Sasuke had been sold. Sighing, Yondaime reached for his parchment and the bottle of ink on his desk. He had to write a letter Sarutobi Asuma, one of his cousins from the West.

* * *

Sasuke stormed away from the office, from the Yondaime. Why did everyone around here have to be so cruel? And it wasn't as if they were blatantly cruel, it was a sort of subliminal thing that was ingrained in their nature.  
  
He'd thought he'd been at the bottom when those men would actually shove him to the ground and force him to lick the cement at their feet, but it was nothing compared to this humiliation. In that situation, he could have got up, he could have walked away - he could have righted his wrongs, but he hadn't and now he couldn't do a damn thing. They humiliated him and there was nothing he could do to stop them now, because it was the truth, and it wasn't as if he caught them saying or doing anything. He knew simply from the way they looked at him, as if he was some unsightly piece of furniture.  
  
There was only one thing he could see to do now, in this predicament. He had to leave, before they made him, before they sent him to god-knew-where for some despicable master, to whom he was to be a slave and it actually played out that way.  
  
He paused for a second, just outside the door to Naruto's chambers, and for almost a second, he regretted not informing the kitsune-jin that he was leaving. Of course, he couldn't, because Naruto had the authority to lock him up and sentence him to death, or whatever, because he was a criminal and Naruto was an officer of the Special Forces.  
  
He kept moving. It wasn't as if the kitsune-jin liked him, or anything of the sort. He merely put up with him, he was sure, because of what he could do for him. That was always how it was - what can he do for me, how can he help me? There was never a thought of how the other might feel, or be, about that, but it was always about that other person, who lived in their own self-centred little universe, where the sun circled their earth.  
  
He stepped outside, into the blizzard-blown world, watching as the playful wind kicked snow up into the bright blue sky. The sunbeams turned the snowflakes to diamonds, and then, they settled back down on the ground, sparkling and glittering, blinding. But even though the sun was out, the wind was so bitter, that it stung his cheeks and tore his breath away. The sun could not chase away the cold that lingered.  
  
He stepped forward, crushing the happy snow beneath his feet, letting the treads of his shoes crush it and push it down, until it had become a perfect replica of what he - of what his shoes wanted it to be. And the defiant snow fell into his shoes, over his toes, because the only shoes he had were sandals. He was going to be frostbitten by the time he got anywhere. Already, there was the tell-tale tingling in his feet of numbness.  
  
Some of the snow was more than compliant, rolling out of his way, moving aside for him, as if he was some great god. It was so the same with human nature. There were the ones you had to crush, the ones you could not crush, and the ones who merely rolled over and played dead for you.  
  
He grabbed his fluttering scarf out of mid-air, wrapping the woolen thing about his frozen hands, trying to restore some heat to them. This was okay, he'd done this before. He had frozen to death in the middle of the winter before, this was no different than the eleven years before.  
  
He shivered involuntarily, finding his pace rising and falling quicker, and he was buffeted by the increasingly strong wind. Dark clouds were rolling in from the North, threatening more snow, and he knew he would have to be gone from here before then, so that his footprints would be hidden.  
  
He went, silently, back to the depths of Konoha.

* * *

"Naruto."  
  
The blond kitsune-jin paused in the hall, glancing back to see his bride-to-be standing in the hall, just outside of her chambers, hands resting on her hips.  
  
"Sakura," he said with a curt nod, before continuing on his way.  
  
"Where are you going?" the blossom-haired kitsune-jin called, forcing him to stop again.  
  
"I'm going to see my former teacher," Naruto said, trying not to grit his teeth and be annoyed. Didn't she know he was in a bit of a hurry?  
  
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled sweetly. "Ah, good, then. I thought you might have been off to see that nasty human of yours."  
  
Naruto bit his lip at the insult to Sasuke. He would not say anything in defence of the boy, for she spoke the truth.  
  
She continued. "I suppose you're seeking guidance on the wedding ceremony?"  
  
She batted her eyelashes and he felt sickness creep into the pit of his stomach. For a moment, he wished that she was Sasuke, cold and stoic, yet commanding. She was not, though, too full of the feminine traits, and seemingly, she thought she had the feminine wiles, when in truth she lacked them and gave them a bad name.  
  
"Eh, no actually. I had something else to speak with him about."  
  
That was apparently the wrong answer. Sakura gave him a long, unforgiving look. Her eyes bored into his, and her voice was cold as she said, "You do that our ceremony is tomorrow? I know they dislike to teach the boys anything of the ceremony before the last second, for fear they forget over time."  
  
Naruto choked. "Tomorrow?" he cried, his eyes wide, turning about to face the kitsune-jin bride-to-be. "So soon? We've barely just met!"  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes. "You really know nothing. They wish to have us married before we can know each other, so we cannot dislike the other and back out of the union."  
  
Naruto gritted his teeth and stuck his tongue out at the girl, unable to resist the childish urge. She stared at him in shock. He grinned wildly, even through his temper. He could win, he could get the better of her! "I know that I'm not supposed to have any contact with the bride for twenty-four hours before the ceremony, my dear Sakura! Which is the rule you just broke. But I won't tell anybody, and I'll leave before anybody sees you conversing with me!"  
  
And he ran. He ran with all the speed that Kyuubi had given him and he ran far away from her, leaving her startled and bewildered in the hall. Of course, she was baffled, for he had just made all that up, but she wouldn't know until she asked someone, and now, he was long gone.  
  
He sighed happily at getting the better of the girl, whom he'd already developed a certain distaste for and continued along the hall at a leisurely pace.  
  
He arrived at Iruka's chambers and knocked, waiting for the keeper of the place to open the door. He glanced out the window and he could see the sunset, because this was the west wing of the palace. The temperature outside was dropping, and clouds were rolling in from the North, promising a storm for the night. Naruto pondered briefly as to where Sasuke was. He'd been gone since about noon, and it was now nearing the evening.  
  
He had no more time to wonder on this, as the door to the chambers was opened and he was face to face with his former tutor. The brunet man smiled down at his former student, who was still somewhat shorter than himself, even after all these years.  
  
"Good evening, Naruto. May I help you?"  
  
Naruto smiled warmly at the human and nodded. "Good evening, Iruka-sensei. I've come by to ask a favour of you."  
  
Iruka nodded and stepped aside, motioning for Naruto to enter his living space and keep their conversation more private. Naruto accepted the offer and stepped inside the teacher's living room.  
  
Iruka shut the door and wandered over to one of the cozy chairs near the fire place. Naruto bounded across the floor and took up a seat in the other, matching seat, much like he had when he was a small child.  
  
"What is it that you need, Naruto?" Iruka asked, titling his head and smiling.  
  
Naruto couldn't help but smile back. Iruka had always been a very kind teacher, if not a bit strict sometimes, and his demeanour just radiated that gentle happiness that seemed to infect everyone in his presence. Had Naruto been a few years older, he might have fallen for the teacher, much as Kakashi had, or so the rumours said.  
  
"I actually was wondering if I could ask you to look after someone for a little while."  
  
Iruka's brown eyes were wide in curiosity, as if asking him who, without saying anything. Naruto studied the scar that ran across the human's face, wondering for the first time how it had come to be there. He could only imagine it was from someone of his race.  
  
"Right now?" his teacher was asking. "I was actually expecting company - not to be rude of course, but I..."  
  
Iruka stopped and they looked at each other for a moment or two. Naruto sighed. "I...actually,...I suppose you've heard of my recent endeavours?"  
  
Iruka looked decidedly disappointed. "Yes, Naruto. I have. And I am not pleased by it, but it's your decision to court that kind of thing and-"  
  
"I'm getting married," the blond blurted, and the brunet stared at him.  
  
"To that thing?" Iruka spluttered, something akin to terror seeping into the tones of his voice.  
  
Naruto blinked, and stared at his teacher for a second or two, then shook his head furiously. "No! I'm getting married to Haruno Sakura, and hence, I have to get rid of my bed-slaves."  
  
Iruka was silent, then finally said, "Oh."  
  
Naruto ploughed on. "And I was wondering if maybe you could take charge of him for a few days. I think Temari lied to me."  
  
Iruka said nothing, then shook his head. "No, I couldn't do that, it's against your father's wishes and-"  
  
Naruto clasped his hands together. "Please Iruka? If he stays for just a couple more days, I might be able to prove Temari wrong and then he can stay -"  
  
"No," the human said firmly, with just a hint of gentleness in his voice. "Temari wouldn't lie to you, so there's nothing to prove."  
  
Naruto stood up, pointedly not looking Iruka in the eye. "Very well then. I suppose it's Fate's way then."  
  
He walked to the door, nodding curtly to his former teacher. "Thanks anyways. I'll see you around," he said, and then he was gone, like smoke on an autumn breeze.  
  
Iruka shook his head and got up, feeling bad for not being able to help his student, but there were things that he just could not do for him. He picked up the fire poker and stirred the fire logs a bit, ash rising into the air a little.  
  
Outside the door, Naruto leaned his forehead on the cool pane of the window, the sun reflecting off his tears. "I suppose it must be done," he murmured to the empty air. "But, by Kyuubi, if I won't miss him."  
  
The only one to hear the admission was the empty hallway, who's stones would keep it silent forever more.

* * *

The wind was bitter and the snow had started to fall about an hour ago, softly at first, then like driving rain, and it was more like ice because it hurt to be hit with it.  
  
The wind howled a melancholy tune, and the storm clouds were bruised by its force, and by the jagged mountain peeks that had threatened to bite them as the drifted toward Konoha. The maiden moon and her servant stars were hid away behind the clouds' curtain, and the night was dull and dim and it was hard to see. 

Far away in the mountains, the wolves prowled and howled, the hunger of the new winter already washing over the hunters. On the outskirts of the village, the farmers guided their snowy stocks into the barns, in hopes to keep them from freezing to death, and to keep them safe from the prowlers of the night.  
  
Hatake Kakashi was one of those prowlers on that night. With the snow sticking in his hair, and flying into his eyes like devilish sprites, he kept moving, followed by the shadows of his squad. They were hunting.  
  
The only ones out on the streets now were the homeless, and those so drunk that they couldn't see. The beggars huddled in alleyways and boxes and with each other, over a garbage can that they had managed to light on fire and they huddled near it, warming their frozen hands.  
  
Everyone else had retreated from the storm, into the warm indoors. Mothers were feeding their children warm soup while the fire burned and fathers sat by it, reading the evening paper.  
  
The hunting party slid by, unnoticed. Their eyes were searching, everywhere and everything at once. The snow came harder, the wind howled louder through the empty streets.  
  
"Kakashi," someone said beside him, and he glanced over to see Shiranui Genma shaking the snow out of his hair. "This is ridiculous. Remind me why we're looking for this brat?"  
  
Kakashi sighed. "We're looking for him, because the Yondaime's cousin is paying a rather large sum of money for him."  
  
Genma chewed thoughtfully on the wooden stick in his mouth. "But still, he's just a human whore," he drawled, turning his gaze to half-glare at Kakashi.  
  
Behind them, someone coughed, rather loudly, and they both turned to look at the guilty party, who was none other than Gekkou Hayate. The other member of the party, looked at them sheepishly, and mumbled an apology.  
  
Genma rolled his eyes. "I told you, you need to take time off, Hayate," he growled, then turned back to Kakashi. "So, how are we going to find this kid?"  
  
Kakashi shrugged. Genma made a rather exaggerated face of exasperation. "You don't know? Do you want us to tromp around in the snow for kyuubi-knows how long and all die of pneumonia?"  
  
As if to emphasize the older officer's point, Hayate coughed again. "Couldn't we just...follow his footprints?" Hayate asked, blinking tiredly, and giving a half cough.  
  
"Brilliant idea," Genma grumbled, crossing his arms. "Except that this damn storm has erased all footprints."  
  
Hayate rolled his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered sarcastically, then started coughing again.  
  
Kakashi grinned mockingly. "Having a lover's spat, you two?"  
  
"We're not lovers!" both kitsune-jins spat at the other officer in perfect synchronization.  
  
Kakashi rolled his visible eye. Someone cleared their throat and said, "Are you going to argue all night, or can we hurry up and find this kid?"  
  
The three kitsune-jins looked back at the fourth member of their party, Maito Gai, who gave them a toothy grin. "Let's find this boy before his youth wastes away!"  
  
The other three made faces and quickly started on their way again, before Gai could launch into one of his infamous speeches about the beauty of youth, or something like that.

* * *

Gaara glanced up from his evening paper at the door, hearing the steady knocking at it. Neji was in the kitchen, doing the dinner dishes, bad-temperedly of course, and he was showing it by throwing stuff around. The red-head doubted he'd hear the door.  
  
So, with no other choice, he got up out of his tattered chair and walked to the battered door.  
  
"Whaddya want," he asked, opening it, because no one ever visited humans like them for polite conversation.  
  
And when he saw who was standing there, he broke into a wide, evil grin. "Oh, Neji," he called to the storming boy, who stalked out of the kitchen, drying a chipped tea cup, scowl planted on his face.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Guess who's back...."

* * *


	8. The Demise of Hope

(A/N: Thanks for over 80 reviews!  
  
mika: Addicted? O.o;;; That's not good. You shouldn't check so often. . .I'm not so quick. . Gaara and Neji actually. . .have another two or three scenes in this. . .and I created a major plothole by putting them in last chapter. 3 I'm glad you enjoy the story so much. D And you can say you love me, it's something I'm becoming more accustomed to hearing/reading. X3  
  
Sugahlei: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!  
  
Kurisuteru-chan: Yes, yay! You remembered! ::hands you a cookie:: Unfortunately, Gaara and Neji kinda. . .disappear again.  
  
Yuen-chan: Too fast?! Ack! The world is ending! I like Temari. I think she's that little bit more mature than the other kunoichi (maybe. O.o) and she looks cool! XD Plus, I met a person who was cosplaying as Temari at the con I went. She was really nice. I was Sakura. lol My friends were like, "O.o;;;"  
  
Neko Oni: Ack! Run for cover! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story.  
  
Kyuubi-kun: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for not mentioning the colour, I think you can guess which colour it did turn. Here's the update!  
  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 8: The Demise of Hope  
  
The day was as perfect as a winter's day could possibly be. The sun shone bright in the washed out sky. The snow below sparkled and glittered like a hundred thousand crushed diamonds. The winds had died down, and now, Konoha was busy digging out from under the snow.  
  
It was on that fine day that Uzumaki Naruto was to be married to Haruno Sakura. The entire palace woke early, rising with the sun, and they most likely would not return to their beds until late in the night, or even early the next morning.  
  
Naruto was currently in the care of his grandfather and his father, who were instructing one very sleepy kitsune-jin on how to conduct himself during the ceremony - what he had to say, when to say it, when to take Sakura's hand in his own, and when not to and so on and so forth.  
  
Naruto merely yawned and tried to go back to sleep, which finally resulted in Jiraiya smashing the younger member of the monarchy over the head with a conveniently placed scroll. The Yondaime had merely looked exasperated, as if he had given up all hope of teaching his son anything.  
  
Of course, being taught at five in the morning wasn't something the prince was accustomed to, and for him to be still half-asleep was only logical.  
  
By the hour of six, they were on their way to see Nara Shikamaru, the head of the tailoring team in the castle. Though sewing and cloth-making was considered a female occupation, Shikamaru's family had been tailors for generations, and of course, it was more fitting to have a male make a man's clothes, than many women, for there were measurements to be taken and so on and so forth. It was a mere courtesy to have at least one male tailor.  
  
Shikamaru was less than impressed to see them, and seemed less than impressed to be up so incredibly early. He meandered slowly through the room, leading them to the place where the robes had been placed, talking only when he was required to, and becoming quite annoyed with Jiraiya's constant pausing and ogling women's clothing, and giving pointers on how to make the outfits more suggestive.  
  
In another room, Sakura's outfitting was much more involved, with Tenten and Ino clamouring over the bride, giggling and blushing as they bound their lady into her robes, and fixed her hair in the elaborate style she had chosen for her wedding day.  
  
Tsunade had joined them, to oversee the progression of the giddy girls, who probably would have been lost in clamour had it not been for her. Hinata was there as well, only to present the traditional dress of the bride of Konoha's prince.  
  
In the courtyard, the Special Forces were busy harnessing horses to a carriage, a task which Genma had dubbed 'stupid' and 'far below our potential'. Kakashi had said he was only upset because he'd been kicked by the horses a total of three times already.  
  
Beyond the stables, the kitchen doors were open, and the snow near them was melting, simply due to the immense amount of heat pouring from the room. Akimichi Chomaru and his apprentice, and son, Chouji, were hard at work, preparing the banquet for the festivities and probably sampling the many delicacies as they went.  
  
Iruka was busy trying to entertain Konohamaru, Naruto's much younger second-cousin, who was probably more excited about the wedding than Naruto himself. It was the fact that he was going to be involved in something important, not that Naruto was getting married, that made him so hyper. The eight-year-old was going to be the ring bearer.  
  
His mother, Anko, was currently helping with the flower arrangements for the wedding, and after she was done with that, she was supposed to be getting ready to attend the wedding. She was the Yondaime's cousin, after all.  
  
Others were preparing for the event as well. The Inuzukas were preparing, and today, their son Kiba would be the spokesman for the clan in wishing the newly-weds well, as had his father wished the Yondaime and his match well, and so on back.  
  
The Hyuugas were also preparing, and Hiashi, who was present at the last royal wedding, was going to make the clan's speeches yet again.  
  
All over Konoha, various kitsune-jin nobles were getting ready for the wedding. The uninvited press was getting ready as well, arming themselves with quick talking reporters and various quick snapping photographers.  
  
At the temple of the royal family, the priest and his disciples were finishing their morning rituals and cleaning. The house god, Kyuubi's statue was decorated in gold and jewels, a customary act to signify the family's patron god's approval of the union.  
  
Around noon, the wedding party finally set out, heading to the other side of Konoha in two parties. There was the women's party, with the bride, and her bridesmaids, and all the maids who would attend the future queen, and the female members of the royal family. They were guarded by half of the Special Forces, who were mostly men, because an assassination could have very well been attempted, and had been attempted in the past.  
  
The other party was the men's party, consisting of the groom, his family members and virtually everyone who was not female, along with the envoy of half the Special Forces. The entire party was walking, a ritual which signified the long path to a steady relationship and also, to a happy married life.  
  
Naruto was walking near the Special Forces, occasionally trying to talk to Kakashi, who kept trying to silence him. Though the wedding was a happy occasion, it was also very sombre during the ceremony, and just before it.  
  
Somehow, Naruto couldn't stop a sort of guilty feeling infecting him, so strongly that it felt as if it had been woven into his sinew when he was created. "Kakashi," he started, in a hushed whisper, though his voice seemed to echo on the still air.  
  
High above them, a bird cried out and circled once, twice, then flew off, headed for the mountains.  
  
His commanding officer glanced back at him, his face dull and blank. "Can't you be quiet?" he asked, exasperation clear in his voice.  
  
Naruto shook his head and smiled cheekily, before letting it fade to almost melancholic. "Ah...I just don't feel right about this. I mean, I barely know her."  
  
Kakashi said nothing and they fell silent again. It was then that Naruto happened to notice who was walking on either side of him. Iruka was walking on his left, holding Konohamaru's hand as the younger boy skipped and cheered, and tried to drag the teacher ahead of the envoy. Iruka smiled apologetically and Naruto couldn't help but smile back.  
  
On the right side of him, Uchiha Itachi, who was linked arm in arm with Orochimaru (hence the only reason the human was even there) was walking, keeping pace with him. Without even looking to see if Naruto had noticed him, the human said, keeping his voice even and low, "Did he say anything to you?"  
  
Naruto could only assume that Itachi was talking about Sasuke, which seemed to make that stupid guilty feeling intensify. Naruto decided that after the conversation was over, he would not talk, mention or even think about Sasuke.  
  
"No, why?"  
  
Itachi glanced to his right, then back to the blond kitsune-jin. "He visited two nights ago. Why, I don't know. He might have said something to you, but apparently not. It doesn't matter."  
  
And with that, the conversation ended. The rest of the walk to the temple was silent, and Naruto, once or twice, found his thoughts wandering to Sasuke, even though he'd promised not to.  
  
The two parties met outside the temple, and Naruto took Sakura's hand in his own and led her into the temple. The remainder of the party fell on their knees, huddled outside, waiting for the ceremony to complete, and then, for Konohamaru, who scuttled up the icy steps and presented the wife and husband with the rings - perfect little circles of gold, which symbolized the never-ending cycle of birth, marriage, and death.  
  
The celebration began then, and there was drinking, and dancing and merry-making and it lasted long into the night, and at the end of that, he was supposed to return to his chambers with his bride, and allow her to warm his bed in the stead of someone else.  
  
He didn't dare touch her, despite that it was their wedding night, and the marriage had to be consummated before it would be considered valid. Somehow, he felt that she would murder him if he dared to lay a finger to her person, and it probably wasn't far from the truth as she slept as far as she could to one side of the bed, with her back to him, and he slept with his back to her, Yume nestled and confused between them.  
  
There was other reason her wouldn't touch her, though. He couldn't bring himself to, for every time he looked at her, he was trying, and waiting for that pink hair to turn black, and her skin to blanch just a little more. Of course, it wouldn't happen, no matter how badly he seemed to want it to.  
  
Uzumaki Naruto felt slightly sick. Here he was, supposedly on the happiest day of his life, and he, the proud kitsune-jin prince and heir to all of Konoha, was missing some stupid human whore.  
  
How utterly pathetic.  
  
In the morning, sleepless, and feeling wretched, from probably a bit too much alcohol the night before, Naruto finally reached a decision. In this was, he would have closure, and he would be able to move on, and look at his wife, and actually bear to see her in his bed.  
  
He would see Sasuke to Suna, the oasis city in the Western deserts, and then, return to Konoha and return to his life. Nothing could deter him - not Kakashi, not Iruka, not his father, neither of his grandparents, not any of the Special Forces officers, not Sasuke himself.  
  
He knew the party was leaving early that morning, and he was prepared before the sun rose, to go, and when he left his chambers, he ran into Hinata, who was just bringing in the things for breakfast.  
  
Naruto stopped her and told her not to set a place for him, and when she asked why, he told her that he was leaving. She had paled visibly and said, "But what about your queen?"  
  
Naruto shook his head and smiled. "I've reasoned all night," he said, placing his firm hands on her shoulders, and the inside of her mind was screaming, about how this was almost like a romance novel.  
  
"I think this is the best thing for us," he continued, and Hinata marvelled at how rich his voice seemed. "I'll go and see Uchiha to his new home, and close that forever, and while I'm gone, Sakura will have time to adjust to life here in Konoha."  
  
Hinata had started blushing and now she was stammering, and wringing her apron in her hands. "Oh, but of course, Naruto-sama!" she cried, looking at the floor, trying to stop herself from flushing. "That must be the best course of action."  
  
He was gone by the time she said that, however, sweeping down the hall, his shoes 'tak'ing on the floor. Hinata stared at him, then realized she'd have to explain to his bride that he was leaving and going somewhere with the human whore he'd owned. Any pleasure she had received from having Naruto's hands on her shoulders was untimely crushed by that thought. Sakura was going to be terribly displeased.  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
Tsunade looked up from her tea cup, just in time to see Naruto charging down the steps into the courtyard, where the party going to Suna was preparing to leave. It wasn't a large party - just a horse and a creaky old wagon, which probably wouldn't make the return trip, and Kakashi, who was loathe to go.  
  
Kakashi should have been staying in Konoha as the commander and organizer of the Special Forces, as he was the highest officer, and he really hadn't originally been going to Suna. However, Genma, the one they had elected to go, had backed out at the last minute, saying that Hayate was on his deathbed, and that, after all, Kakashi was much more suited to the job.  
  
Kakashi had vowed that when he got back, he was going to kick Genma's ass so hard, he'd meet the other kitsune-jin in the following week. But for now, he was stuck escorting some slovenly human boy to Suna, for the Yondaime's cousin.  
  
And now, apparently, he was going to be taking the prince of Konoha with him, and escorting him too. He sighed heavily.  
  
Jiraiya, who was also outside, shook his fist at the blond boy. "You! Get back inside and tend to your woman!"  
  
Naruto stuck his tongue out at the old man and ran right by him, hopping up into the old wagon, which groaned angrily and swayed a bit on its wobbly wheels. Sasuke glared at him.  
  
Jiraiya stomped his foot and pointed at the ground. "Boy, you get down from there now! You can't go gallivanting off with that whore! You have a wife!"  
  
Naruto said nothing in reply, but turned to Kakashi and said, rather enthusiastically, "Are you ready to go?"  
  
The silver-haired officer nodded and sighed. As if dealing with the moody ex-slut wasn't enough, now he had to deal with the hyper and married prince of Konoha.  
  
Jiraiya was still ranting at Naruto, telling him that he had a responsibility and that he couldn't just up and leave now, that he had to stay in Konoha and so on and so forth. Tsunade laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling lightly.  
  
"Dear," she said, with a half-glare at her grandson. "He must walk his own path."  
  
"Damnit!" Jiraiya cried, shaking her hold off of him and tearing at his hair. He pointed dramatically at Naruto. "Listen here, brat! When you get back, I'm gonna knock some sense into that head of yours! Maybe then you'll listen to some advice from a man as wise as me!"  
  
Naruto stuck out his tongue and said, mockingly, "Just because you're old doesn't mean you're wise."  
  
"What?!" Jiraiya screamed, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. "Naruto, you brat!"  
  
Deciding he'd had enough of the royal family's dramatics, Kakashi spurred the horse into motion and the wagon went rolling down the small hill, toward the palace gates. Naruto waved at Jiraiya, who was still screaming at him, and Tsunade, who had a hand over her forehead and was shaking her head in dismay.  
  
And so, they were off, toward the future and the unknown and all that wonderful crap.  
  
Sasuke glared at Naruto, wrapping one of the blankets in the cart around himself tighter to protect himself against the winter wind. Why had he shown up and decided to make things difficult again?  
  
Sasuke had been brought back the night before the wedding, and he had refused to see Naruto. He was sure it would be easier that way. If he didn't see Naruto, he couldn't think of Naruto, and therefore didn't know Naruto, and hence, couldn't feel anything for the kitsune-jin.  
  
But no, it was like Naruto to screw something up. Sasuke remembered once or twice, when during a moment of true intimacy between them, whether as friends or otherwise, the blond said something entirely inappropriate and destroyed whatever they'd been sharing.  
  
He shook his head, trying to dislodge the discomforting thoughts. It wasn't going to help him let go, if he kept looking back and thinking and rethinking of what had been and even contemplating possibilities of what could have been.  
  
It wasn't good to linger, and he had learned that the hard way. He had lingered in the place where his clan had been murdered, and he had been afraid of ghosts and he was sure that on the darkest nights, their unrested spirits came to haunt him, for living the life that should have still been theirs.  
  
His nightmares were recurring, and instead of running away from that place, he'd lingered and had to relive all the memories in the fresh pain of his loss, and once or twice, he'd sent himself into hysterics doing that. The blood and the ash and the smell of death lingered there too, and he was stuck with the memories of that which haunted his dreams now.  
  
He'd lingered on the memories, and their deaths for more than a year, and he'd made himself very, very sick - sick in the heart, sick in the head, and sick, just sick. He'd lost any will he had to live and he just wanted to sink into the shadows and die, so he could sleep with the rest of the Uchiha blood.  
  
It was better to move on, quickly, without looking back, because looking back was what got the coyote killed.  
  
He refused to speak, or even look at Naruto. Instead, he went back to musing over what had occurred two nights ago now.  
  
Oh, yes, he was truly brilliant. He had walked back into the hands of his former tormentors, Neji and Gaara. He could only be glad that the Special Forces had actually come to fetch him, or, as he realized in hindsight now, he would have been back on the damn street corner.  
  
Really, what had driven him back was his absolute craving for that damn drug to be back in his veins. He'd been without for months on end, but he wasn't over it yet, and he was still craving, craving...lusting after that elusive feeling it gave him. He wanted to be high, he wanted to be so fucking high that he couldn't keep his eyes open.  
  
He wanted to overdose, he wanted it that bad, he wanted it, he needed it. Of course, what most people would deem the worst was over - the fever, the nightmares, the sleeplessness, and so on and so forth, all symptoms of withdrawal. Of course, no one quite realized that what came after was probably worse than the physical pain. No confidence, self-loathing and self-doubt, depression and that damn need for it that was invariably what drove every drug addict back from the road to recovery.  
  
So, Sasuke had gone to his source, and oh, they'd played with him, and they'd let him have it, they'd let him have the little brown paper bag with the stuff, because they thought he was staying. He was behind on payment, but he was back, and he'd catch up eventually.  
  
It had been the only thing he'd escaped with when the Special Forces had whisked him away. His shoes were still there, his scarf was still hanging about the pegs of the coat rack. He'd liked the scarf, he thought miserably, and he wouldn't mind it back, but he couldn't dare go back there again.  
  
He still had the little brown paper bag with him - it was in his backpack, with all his stuff, tucked neatly away for later use. Or, hell, right now. He wanted it bad, and Naruto was making him nervous. He needed to relax, he needed to get out of here, right now.  
  
Naruto watched in fascination as Sasuke went digging suddenly in his pack, trying to find something, obviously. They'd barely been gone an hour, and were just now reaching the city limits, travelling steadily West.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Naruto asked, offering the other boy half of his already-been-chewed-on chocolate bar.  
  
Sasuke hissed a reply and kept digging, then he pulled out that little brown bag, the one he'd been looking for. Naruto grinned. "Ah, your stash, eh?"  
  
Sasuke stared at him, almost in horror, before realizing, with a wash of relief, that Naruto thought it was food. He nodded, numbly, and swallowed nervously. Hesitantly, he unrolled the bag and fished out a needle, making sure to fill it while it was in the bag, as best he could. This was going to be a sloppy job, but it was the best he could do, with Naruto and that other kitsune-jin sitting right there.  
  
He pulled the needle out of the bag, and jabbed it into his arm, knowing instinctively where to put it, from having used it so long. The wound in his arm had never really healed, though it had gotten better.  
  
He depressed the needle, pushing the drug into his veins, and threw his head back, as if in relief. Naruto was staring at him, and as the heroin began to work its magic, he just kind of smiled lazily and pulled the needle out of his arm.  
  
"What the hell did you do?" Naruto screamed, pulling the bag out of Sasuke's numbed grip and looking inside. "Oh, Kyuubi," he muttered, and without a second thought, threw the bag away.  
  
Sasule half-glared at him, but was too tired to really do anything about it. He wanted to curl up and sleep, sleep for a long, long time. Naruto was starting to look really comfortable. . .  
  
One can only imagine Naruto's surprise when Uchiha Sasuke, who was high on heroin, dropped into his lap and fell asleep.  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
Orochimaru wasn't in the best of moods. That much was obvious when he came stalking into the bedroom, slamming the door and started throwing things around. Not just any things, however, but sharp and pointy things, like kunais and shruiken and other weapons.  
  
Itachi watched from the bed with vague interest, only smirking when the general cut himself on one of the weapons and hurled it across the room, letting it embed itself in the wall.  
  
Orochimaru had just returned from some interview or other with the Yondaime - things of that nature were always going on, and Itachi never bothered to pay attention, because they did not directly concern him.  
  
It wasn't as if Orochimaru was carrying on an affair with the Yondaime, for if he ever laid a finger on said Yondaime, he would have three very angry people to answer to - Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Itachi, who could kick his ass any day of the week, given he felt like it.  
  
And if something threatened Itachi's existence, which Orochimaru's need for him did, Itachi felt like kicking that thing's ass.  
  
Orochimaru had just been informed by the Yondaime that there was some form or other of uprising in the country of Kiri, a land of cold, water and northern climate second to none. Of course, he was being sent there.  
  
He couldn't have asked for better timing. He absolutely wanted to go thousands of miles away, to fight some bloody battle he could die in, just for a king who never actually paid him so he could keep his empire, and he wanted to tromp around in the snow, and try and find the enemy on their own turf, and last but least of all, he wanted to leave his pregnant bed slave here in Konoha, probably when the Uchiha would be the most submissive he'd ever been in his life!  
  
Orochimaru, to say the least, wasn't impressed by the Kiri rebels' obvious lack of timing.  
  
Itachi finally decided to inquire as to what had caused Orochimaru's suddenly foul mood.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, sighing, rolling over, and absently patting the growing bump of his stomach.  
  
Orochimaru growled and continued getting his gear together. Itachi sat up a bit, resting his hand on the bump, and then noticed that he was touching it and pulled his hand away.  
  
"I asked you a question," he said, watching as a kunai whizzed over his head and landed in the wall.  
  
"I have to go to stupid Kiri," Orochimaru growled, the continued stuffing weapons into various holders. "Some stupid fuck decided it would be a good time for a fucking rebellion."  
  
Itachi rolled his eyes. "You get pissed off over the stupidest things," he sighed.  
  
Orochimaru grunted but said nothing more. Itachi slid off the bed and slid across the floor, seizing Orochimaru's shoulders in his hands and working out the tension knots that had resulted from the general's bad mood.  
  
"Look at that," he murmured. "You're all worked up for nothing, and now I have to work out all these knots...tsk tsk..."  
  
Orochimaru gritted his teeth and said nothing. On a whim, he turned about and grabbed Itachi the forearms, exclaiming, "You're going with me!"  
  
The Uchiha looked stupefied, for the first time ever. "Me? Now? Go? Are you insane?"  
  
Itachi pulled away from his master, pointing at himself. "You want me to go to Kiri with you, and tromp around in sub-zero temperatures, waiting to be massacred by rebels looking to overthrow Konoha while I'm carrying your child."  
  
Orochimaru nodded.  
  
Itachi shook his head in utter dismay. "You are a fucking basket case..."

- - - - - - - - - - -

(A/N: R&R?)


	9. Of Sun and Sand

(A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!  
  
Aquahawk-04: Glad you liked the chapter!  
  
Kagekitsune16: I'm glad you like the story!  
  
Riddle: Yes - oh no!  
  
neko oni: I'm glad you like the pairings. :D  
  
Kyuubi-kun: Oh, yes it does suck. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!  
  
Deaths Fallen Angel: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.  
  
Yuen-chan: I know the irritation. I was mad at myself for doing that. But they'll be back, the persistent little pests they are. . .  
  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 9: Of Sand and Sun  
  
"He what?"  
  
Hinata looked at the floor, keeping her gaze downcast and jabbed her index fingers together, with increasing force as her nervousness increased.  
  
She was standing in the prince's chambers, having a nasty conversation with his new bride. As she had suspected, Sakura wasn't happy that her husband had up and deserted her so suddenly, so soon.  
  
The blossom-haired girl had thrown herself out of bed now and was hurriedly rushing about the room, ranting and trying very hard to find her clothing, but all that had been placed in the room had been the wedding robes she'd been wearing the night before.  
  
"He went where?!"  
  
Hinata shuffled her feet. "To Suna," she said, her voice lost on the whirlwind of Sakura's rage.  
  
"That. . .that complete bastard! The little jerk! Who does he think he is?!"  
  
Hinata kept her eyes down, making sure she never made eye-contact with the green-eyed princess. She was sure that if she did, she would become the object of the girl's wrath, and she was quite sure that was going to be a very scary thing.  
  
She could only be glad that she wasn't Naruto, for he was in for it when he got back. She was sure that Sakura wouldn't follow the prince's logic. She almost felt sorry for the blond boy.  
  
Sakura let out a frustrated cry and tore at her hair, whirling on the maid who stood before her. She jabbed a finger at the Hyuuga girl, narrowing her eyes. "You! Where's my clothes? Don't tell me that Ino and Tenten haven't sent them up here yet!"  
  
Hinata, if possible, ducked her head even lower. "I...I'm sorry, Sakura, but we haven't had time to fetch them yet. I-if you want, I will get them while you sit down to breakfast."  
  
Sakura glowered for a moment longer, then resigned, feeling exhausted, and drained. "Fine," she sighed, giving up to resignation.  
  
Why had Naruto left her so suddenly? They hadn't even been joined in matrimony for a day yet, and he'd left her the first chance he'd gotten. It wasn't as though she cared about the prince, or harboured any affection for him, but rather. . .  
  
It made her feel as if she was boring, so boring that he'd rather go chase whores across the desert. It made her feel plain, because he'd much rather go somewhere with that ravishing human than herself. It made her angry, because she was the princess, goddamnit, and he should have been by her side, not with that stupid. . .  
  
That stupid human. She couldn't deny that the ex-whore was a stunning sight, even when he wasn't gussied up as a woman, and she could say that because the night before she'd become a married woman, she'd ran into him again, practically tripping across him in the moonlight.  
  
He was such a creature of the night, with raven features, and pale skin, which looked even less colourful in the moonbeams. Somehow, when she'd struck across him, he'd looked melancholy, with a sadness ringing in his dead eyes, his posture, the way his hair hung down into his eyes, hiding them in shadow.  
  
She felt that they were two souls in the same in that instant, because she'd gotten up and left her chambers to look to the moon goddess for guidance, to see if her marriage to the prince was really what was best for her. She also wanted to make her way down to the temple, to pray to the house gods for the strength and courage, and the loving and understanding that she would need to make it in her new role.  
  
Instead, she'd found him, with his head bowed, and his hands clasped, apparently praying to some human moon deity, for his lips were moving, silently, most likely in the words of a prayer. Was he looking for guidance? Was he looking for some trait he felt he'd forgotten?  
  
He looked up at her, noticing her, and she took in her breath harshly, because his eyes were wild and dangerous, but yet so sad and intense. It was like drowning yourself in a shadow to look into them.  
  
No words had passed between them, and it was understood that times were changing, and they would not be friends, nor anything more, or less, even. They would simply be beings in that time and place, until one or another passed away into the blurs of existence, and then, until death claimed them.  
  
She sat in the empty dining hall, picking at the breakfast that had been placed for her. Pale sunlight filtered in through the windows, reflecting off the snowy outdoors, making the day so much brighter than it actually was. Looks could be so deceiving, couldn't they?  
  
A place had not been set for Naruto, nor was there enough food for two, had he been there. She figured that he must have caught Hinata as she was setting the meal, and told her not to waste the food or time on him, because. . .  
  
Because he was leaving with that jerk!  
  
She slammed her fist on the table, bowing her head and fighting the angry tears that threatened to overflow. This was stupid! This was so stupid! Wasn't every girl's dream to marry the prince of Konoha, the prince of the most powerful country in kitsune-jin history, and be his wife, and his Queen when he became King, and the bearer of his heir?  
  
Why was she so unhappy if this was the dream of all the small children in the North?  
  
She got up and walked to the window, looking out over the snow-covered city, and beyond that, to the mountains. She wanted to go home, oh, she was so tired of being in Konoha, this pale comparison of winter. She longed for the bitter winds and the thick snows, the blizzards and a warm fire in front of her, and her mother and father.  
  
She sighed, looking at her pale, glassy reflection in the window. Her eyes were dull, not a bright, dark green like most girls', but a washed out jade, and her hair was pale and limp as well. Her skin, well it wasn't as white as the human's, but it was a close call. Her lips were thin, and tight, just barely chapped, and her skin wasn't soft and smooth like it was supposed to be.  
  
She sighed, and looked back at her breakfast, then decided it was better left as it was, and wandered back to the prince's bed chambers, and strode into the washroom. She closed the door, quietly, shutting out the prince's little fox kit, Yume, who pawed and whined at the door, obviously wondering where her owner had gone.  
  
She stared at herself in the full-length mirror on the backside of the door. Pale, limp, fragile, and boyish were all words that came to mind to describe herself. Her bosom was still so small, dwarfed by most of the other kitsune-jins, especially Tsunade. Her hips were still so straight cut, not at all rounded, and her figure was so very lacking of curves that she could have sworn she was meant to be a boy.  
  
It was hardly a wonder that none of the boys in her home had ever fancied her, for she wasn't nearly as stunning as Ino, or even Tenten, who had dull brown features. It was little wonder that her husband up and left her for someone prettier than herself.  
  
She sighed again, and put her face into her knees, shaking it a bit, trying to distill the tears that threatened the peace of her face.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
When Sasuke woke, the sun had climbed high into the sky, and shone down on the wintery forest they were travelling through. The trees, with their naked limbs, raked at the dead sky, and the horse plodded on through deep snow, tugging as the wagon wheels stuck, and refused to turn.  
  
Every so often, Naruto had to hop down and kick the snow off of them, before they could continue.  
  
Sasuke yawned and sat up a bit, rubbing his eyes, wondering how long he'd been out. The sun was well past it zenith, making him guess that it was some time after the noon-hour. It was probably more about three o'clock, for the west was starting to become appealing to the early-sleeping winter sun.  
  
Naruto happened to glance down at him, and notice that he was awake. "Oh, so you woke up, huh?" he nearly snarled, and Sasuke, still in a bit of a drug-induced stupor, took a moment to wonder why Naruto was so bitter, and then, nod stupidly.  
  
He took that moment to feel sick, and haul himself up, and lean over the side of the wagon, as best he could, emptying the contents of his stomach. He cursed himself mentally - he'd always had a weak stomach, and every time he came down, the nausea always was enough to make him sick.  
  
He hauled himself back into the cart, making sure not to fall over the edge, turning back to see Naruto looking at him sheepishly. They said nothing, and the blond looked away, looking pensive and. . .upset?  
  
Sasuke wasn't sure. He sat back down, closing his eyes, willing Kakashi to stop and let him rest, to make the steady bump-bump-bumping of the cart wheels turning stop, and in turn, make his stomach stop churning so violently.  
  
The Special Forces kitsune-jin just kept ploughing onward, let the human keep feeling sick.  
  
The wheels went round and away they went, travelling West, leaving Konoha behind them.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Well, well, well.  
  
If they weren't stuck with the army and half of Konoha's elite, the Special Forces. Wonderful.  
  
Itachi admired the Special Forces the way he admired a corpse. He had always resented them for what had been done to his family (not that he cared), and for forcing him into bondage. They were stuck up, and they thought they were good, but they were trash, just like the rest of the kitsune-jins.  
  
He had easily outclassed the whole lot of them, when he was just ten. It was a sad kind of reality, but that was how it was.  
  
He knew they resented him standing there. He knew they thought him a burden, and at the moment, he knew he was.  
  
Normally, he was able to defend himself, able to take the whole lot of those who dared oppose him, but right now, he could not do that sort of thing.  
  
Of course, he was under strict orders not to do anything strenuous, and he was under the watchful eye of Orochimaru, who was going to make sure those orders were upheld. So far, he hadn't even been allowed to touch a weapon, lest he cut himself and die of blood loss, no matter how ridiculous the notion.  
  
So, it really was fitting that he was sulky and depressed, and the kitsune-jins all around him saw nothing more than some weak, petty human that they had to defend, just because their general was a depraved old bat.  
  
It wasn't good for him to sit in the room full of people with that mentality, because it permeated the air and slithered down his throat when he tried to breath, and made him want to stop.  
  
If they glared at him, then he glared right back. He wasn't about to take this lying down, he wasn't about to just go and prove them right. Pregnant or not, he was capable of doing more than anyone else there, even Orochimaru.  
  
He wasn't about to let this stupid thing get in the way of proving them all wrong. If he were only allowed to hate one thing, he hated hypocrites - those who said they were powerful and lurked in the shadows, and pretended to be powerful, and whenever they came face to face with true power, squealed like a dying pig and ran for their petty little lives.  
  
Which was exactly what most kitsune-jins did, and would do.  
  
They'd left the night before, under the cover of darkness, leaving only their footprints in the snow, walking, away from Konoha, away from the lights and the warmth, into the cold real world, and Itachi liked it.  
  
He liked the cold, he liked the dark, because it proved him stronger than the elements. The night was moonless, and almost starless, but there were no clouds to be seen. They trampled on, carving a path in the snow.  
  
They went North,and then, at some point during the early morning, their course turned them Northeast, toward the North Sea, and Kiri. Kiri was a day and a half's ride from Konoha, which meant about three or four days walking. Orochimaru reckoned that they could make it in two, if they travelled non-stop.  
  
Sleepless in the morning light, they kept moving, only to be set back by the mountains on the outside of Konoha's territory. When evening fell, they had, amazingly enough, reached the top of the rocky summits, and, already behind, Orochimaru called a halt and let them rest, because there was no point in wearing themselves down if they were already going behind schedule.  
  
Itachi was glad for the rest, because, though he would not admit it, his pregnant body needed more rest than he would have liked. When Orochimaru had called the halt, he had gratefully offered a silent prayer for the general, and flopped down in the snow, carving himself a small niche, and falling asleep nearly instantly.  
  
He'd woke in the morning, startled from his slumber by someone's breath on his cheek, and found that sometime after he'd slept, Orochimaru had found him and curled up with him, wrapping an extra fur or two about them, so as to prevent them from freezing to death.  
  
Itachi was genuinely surprised by such an action and raised an eyebrow, then got up and stretched his limbs.  
  
The air was thinner up here, and he found it almost hard to breathe, making himself feel dizzy. He stumbled, then tripped and ended up face-first in the snow. He glanced around and noticed that he was the only one awake, or so it seemed.  
  
He turned over and looked up at the sky, watching the greyness of the night seep away, being overtaken by pale, fractured sunlight.  
  
It was then he heard a tell-tale battle cry pierce the silent air.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Sasuke had forgotten when the sunshine had become so warm, or when the snow had melted away, into a sea of sand which held the sun's heat, then held it back up to the overheated air. He couldn't remember the last time he'd sweated so profusely.  
  
They'd been travelling for three days now, and as far as he could tell, they should have been reaching Suna sometime very soon. Of course, he could have been very wrong, because the desert tells lies.  
  
The sands were shifting all about them, and the wind kicked up, now and then, though it wasn't a cold breeze, but a warm and heavy one. The sun burned down on the back of their necks, and Sasuke wondered how anyone could survive in an environment like this.  
  
The air was almost too hot to breathe, and it scorched his lungs, making him gulp and gasp for oxygen that wasn't so warm. The heat made his head swim, and he couldn't think straight. His brain was sticky, and overheated, and so were his feet, even though he'd taken off his shoes and his socks long ago.  
  
The poor horse, it was slick with sweat, and still, trying to pull it's load along behind it, but it couldn't seem to get farther than a few steps, before it faltered again in the sand, then had to stop and catch its breath.  
  
Sasuke could only imagine how wretched the heat must have been to one physically straining itself. It was sweltering to him, and he wasn't even doing anything. He felt like mush, like he was melting.  
  
The day wore on.  
  
The one thing about the desert that Sasuke had already come to hate was the extreme variation of temperatures between night and day. The day was blistering hot, and on its heels, came the night, with icy fingers that clawed their way about you and choked you to death.  
  
He and Naruto had not talked for days. At first, it had been out of pure discomfort, but now, it was because the heat made doing anything more than staring at the sun until your eyes felt like falling out was entirely too much effort.  
  
Even Kakashi and Naruto had ceased to converse with each other.  
  
The silence wore on into the afternoon, and for a long time after that.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
The sun rose high into the sky over Suna that day.  
  
The wind played in the palm trees, and the water fountain in the town square could be heard trickling, even from a distance. Birds chirped in the trees. Suna truly was an oasis in the middle of a wasteland.  
  
Sitting on his porch that morning, Sarutobi Asuma lit a cigarette, the first of many in a continuous string for that day. He exhaled smoke, watched the smoke curl lazily up into the sky from the cancer stick, and followed it up, up, and up, into the wild blue yonder.  
  
He was waiting, and he'd been waiting for the past three or four days. He was beginning to think that the Yondaime wasn't going to send him his purchase after all.  
  
"And that lying cheat already took the money," he huffed, flicking the ashes of his cigarette to the ground, glaring at them as they hit the ground and broke apart, to be lost in the sands.  
  
The clouds rolled on overhead.  
  
There was a loud chirping noise, and startled, a flock of birds fled the trees of his land, angry and loud, flying as fast as they could.  
  
A worn-out looking horse, and a creaky wagon started to appear before his very eyes, pulling over a hill in the road. Someone was standing on the back of the cart, waving enthusiastically, and grinning broadly. He had wide blue eyes and wild blond hair, the colour of straw.  
  
Asuma dropped his cigarette and rubbed his eyes. He could have sworn that was the Yondaime, not changed since their last meeting when they'd been sixteen. But no, they were both much older now, and this boy had three scars on his cheeks, and he closed his eyes now, making him look even more like a fox than he already did.  
  
The driver of the cart, a silver-haired kitsune-jin held up his hand in greeting and called lazily, "Oy, Asuma!"  
  
"Kakashi!" he returned gruffly, and rose to his feet.  
  
So, they were here at last, but the human boy was no where to be seen.  
  
The horse nearly galloped into the yard, seeing water and its chance to rest. Kakashi managed to hold the animal, and keep them steady, so as not to upset the rickety wagon.  
  
Naruto clambered off the wagon as soon as it screeched to a halt, eager to stretch his arms and legs. Sasuke, on the other hand, felt increasingly sick, and stayed hunkered down on the wagon, fear tearing at his insides, and he was almost ready to burst into tears at any second.  
  
He hated it here already. The sun, the happiness, the cold, the heat. The place stank of cigarette smoke, even from the yard. He wanted to go home, he wanted to go back to Konoha, where he knew things, and where he knew people, even if they weren't the right kind of people to know.  
  
Seeing Naruto grinning that brightly wasn't helping him any. It made it look as if the kitsune-jin was happy to let him go, happy to get rid of him. He supposed he should be, bitterly, because the prince had to be a prince and he had to live like one now, with his wife and children, and -  
  
"Goddamnit," he whispered, to himself, rubbing at his eyes.  
  
Blue eyes were looking at him concernedly now, and Naruto's voice was saying, "What happened? Get sand in your eye?"  
  
He shook his head and slid off the back of the cart, landing on his shaky, almost numb feet. God, why did he feel so goddamn sick? Why did he want to cry?  
  
His face was jerked up roughly, by a large, tanned and calloused hand, and he looked up at a tall, brown man, with a scruffy beard and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Brown eyes met black, and already he wanted to break that grip and run, run away.  
  
He wanted to go home.  
  
"Mmmhmm," the brown man said, "A true Uchiha, indeed."  
  
Sasuke said nothing, but strained his eyes down, until they hurt, but he was looking at the ground. The ground was safe, the ground was okay, the ground was brown - like his new master. The ground was sandy, like his new desert home.  
  
Some servants scuttled out of the house, which was built of mud bricks and clay mortar, doomed to be buried by the whispering sands in time. It was nothing like the houses in Konoha, he though bitterly, and felt even more homesick.  
  
The servants unhitched the horse and led it to the water, bathing it's sweaty sides with the cool stuff, and cold cloths.  
  
Lunch was served, not too much later, and was a course made of simple, cold foods, for Sasuke supposed, no one could fathom eating anything hot at midday. Cold soup, cold well-water, cold prepared meats, cold bread and butter. He could see what it was, he could smell what it was, but everything tasted like sand, or dirt, or sawdust, and he really wasn't hungry just then.  
  
After the lunch meal, there was the afternoon nap, a resting time, because the desert-dwellers knew that it was far too hot to do anything else, and besides, the heat made them sleepy.  
  
Sasuke lay on the itchy blankets, feeling the heat close in around him, and he tossed and turned, but he could not sleep, for everything inside him - his thoughts, his feelings - was tied up in coils and knots, constricting his lungs and making it hard to breathe.  
  
He let his eyes flutter shut when the world started to spin, and he forced his head against the pillow, staying the dizziness and the feeling of movement when there was none.  
  
At three o'clock, when the sun was starting to set, the heat began to wane, just slightly, and the evening meal was set. Sasuke didn't sit with the master and the travellers this time, instead, being forced to sit with the servants, most of whom were women.  
  
He kept his eyes down, as if eyeing the food, but he really didn't want anything to eat. He wasn't hungry, as he'd done nothing to burn the food he'd choked down at lunch, and nothing seemed to appetizing to him at that moment.  
  
For the most part, he was ignored, occasionally being given a sly side-glance by one of the women, who went on chattering amongst themselves. He only dared look up a bit when he was sure there were no eyes on him, and he saw that the women were all draped in layers of light, airy cloth, probably to keep the sand out of their faces and hair.  
  
Some of them were young and pretty, others were getting old, with grey in their hair, and others still were already old, and fat, and ugly. He noticed that some of the younger women appeared to be heavy with child, and he nearly needed to shake his head violently to force his thoughts away.  
  
The sick feeling crawled in his stomach.  
  
The moon rose and the stars came out to play.  
  
Early in the twilight, Naruto and Kakashi had gone, under the advice to travel by night and early morning, and to sleep for most of the day. Sasuke had refused to watch them go, even though part of him wanted to stand on the hill and wave until they were out of sight, like in the generic ten cent romance novels at the apothecary's.  
  
Asuma, the man who owned - god, he hated that word - him now, had just returned from the evening farming, because it was too hot to work the land during the day, so it was tilled and worked during the morning and evening.  
  
He smiled at Sasuke and took the boy by his hand and led him away, saying, "Let's see how well you were trained."  
  
Inside the servants' room, the female slaves began to giggle.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
(A/N: R&R?) 


	10. Silence in the Sunshine

(A/N: Thanks for the reviews!  
  
Ravyn-09: I guess Itachi tripping and falling in the snow is rather amusing, ne?  
  
KageKitsune16: Ah, Sasuke's not quite a rock bottom. And don't hate Sakura. She hates herself enough.  
  
SilverLook: Wrong? It's wrong? Yay! All the more reason for me to do it. I'm very evil, what can I say?  
  
Mister Pineapple: At least it didn't strike lower. And somehow, it seems incredibly odd that Naruto's a "spineless dick". Hm. . .I cannot write characters in character for beans. ::sigh::  
  
To the person who made that face that I cannot make, as ffnet ish ebil: I suppose you like the story.  
  
Yuen-chan: It's fall here. And bloody cold. My feet ache with cold. ::puts feet in hot chocolate:: As long as it's warm. . .  
  
Neko Oni: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Most of the chapters in this fic average about 12 pages. I think. 12 pages x 12 chapters. . .is. . .124 pages? Bah. It's supposedly 130 pages or so long in total, so I dunno. Can't do math.  
  
artemis347: I'm glad you're enjoying the new chapters!  
  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 10: Silence in the Sunshine  
  
"Oh, Hinata," Naruto whined to the maid. "I can't believe I let him go so easily!"  
  
Hinata sighed and continued to set the plates on the table. This was the third morning since the prince's return, and so far, all he'd done was whine and complain and mope about letting Sasuke go.  
  
It hurt her to see him like this, so she let the last plate clatter to the table and sat down in the chair nearest him and took his warm hand in her own, feeling hers trembling with nervousness. "Naruto-sama, you did the right thing," she said, her voice soft and gentle.  
  
The blond prince said nothing, then threw himself into her arms, sobbing fitfully. "Oh, Hinata!" he wailed, loudly, and she blushed, startled and afraid someone might hear.  
  
"I'm such a fool! I let him go, I let him go! I should have disagreed to the marriage, I should have said no - I loved him, I loved him - I still do!"  
  
His ranting turned into indecipherable whimpers and sobs, and he rested his head against her chest, his tears wetting the fabric of her uniform. She turned an even deeper crimson. Hesitantly, then bolder, she placed a hand on his head, letting her fingers curl in the soft golden tresses. "Naruto-sama, Naruto-sama, please don't cry. Please, please," she trailed off, feeling tears prick at her own eyes from seeing her prince in such distress.  
  
Naruto said nothing more, and they stayed like that for a long, long time, neither saying anything - Hinata too embarrassed and too caught up in the moment to do anything; Naruto too miserable.  
  
At long last, the prince unfolded himself from the maid's embrace, and tenderly, leaned up and gingerly placed a shy kiss on her lips. He backed off, standing up and bowing. "Thank you, Hinata," he said, then took leave of the room.  
  
Hinata placed a hand to her lips and sat back, completely stupefied by the prince's actions.  
  
- - - - - - - -  
  
The screamed pierced the air, and there was a roar, like footsteps, careening through the snowy woods. Itachi lay, wide-eyed, unable to move in case he was spotted.  
  
It was too late to move anyways, because the Kiri forces came spilling over the crest of the mountain, brandishing their weapons, their teeth, and their claws. He ducked down in the snow, and hoped not to be trampled to death, as they came thundering by him, only to scream and lash out viciously when a pair of arms snatched him up out of the snow.  
  
A hand clamped down over his mouth, and two fingers pinched his nose, cutting off his air. He squirmed and kicked, all to no avail. The world became very dark and fuzzy, fading back into the black night that it had just come from.  
  
"Hello Uchiha Itachi," someone said, just before he blacked out.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Orochimaru was to his feet as soon as he heard the war cry. He'd been lingering ever since Itachi had left his arms, in between sleep and true consciousness. Now, however, he was truly and fully awake, his eyes snapping dangerously.  
  
Where the hell was Itachi?! He looked at his soldiers, some still sleeping, some rousing themselves now that they'd heard the approaching thunder cloud. "Move!" he shouted at them, clutching at his own forgotten weapons.  
  
Genma, one of the Special Forces, hopped out of a nearby tree, landing neatly beside the serpentine general. "They're moving in from the East," he reported, and was gone before Orochimaru could speak, heading hurriedly back to rouse his own sleeping ranks.  
  
Orochimaru found it convenient that the Special Forces had brought up the rear. He wondered if they had known - No. Now was not the time for mutinous thoughts, because the Kiri idiots were charging full-throttle down the hill, into a valley of pikes, spears and swords, he thought with a grim smile.  
  
These idiots had no idea what they were doing. Still, it was disconcerting that they'd gather this close to Konoha without them knowing. Absently, he looked around for Itachi. Who was nowhere to be seen in the melee that suddenly surrounded him.  
  
The world was an ocean of heaving, fighting, dying kitsune-jins, with the blood dropping and turning the pure snow crimson. He ducked low as a broad-sword swished and sliced through the air above him, rolling neatly to the side and, rising, bringing his own katana to meet the blade.  
  
His eyes met another set, those of a predator, those of a fish and he hissed beneath his breath, "Hoshigaki..."  
  
The fish-like creature grinned and lashed out again. "Orochimaru," he returned, rows upon rows of teeth in his mouth flashing like daggers as he grinned. "Ready to finish that fight we started a while back?"  
  
Orochimaru glanced left and right, and with still no sign of Itachi, growled, "No."  
  
Kisame, the fish-man, mock-frowned. "Aw, that's too bad. I was going to give this as the prize."  
  
The shark made a gesture and he stared in that direction. "You," he hissed, then looked back at the shark. "You!"  
  
He lunged without thinking, and steel met steel, both competitors stumbling back a bit from the force. "Let him go!" the snake general roared, eyes glinting dangerously in the sunlight.  
  
Kisame smirked. "Make me," was all he said.  
  
It provoked the snake though, who, without hesitation, bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood, yanked up his sleeve and drew the blood across the tattoo he had there. The earth began to shake and everything, everyone stopped, watching as, behind Konoha's general, the ground heaved itself upward.  
  
Up, out of the bowels of the earth came Manda, toppling trees, snow falling from its massive head. Kisame merely shrugged. "Big snake you have there," he said. "But remember, bigger isn't always better!"  
  
Orochimaru, now perched on the massive snake's head, sneered in contempt. Kisame lunged forward, giving a fearsome cry. Manda coiled itself round, bringing its tail about and batting Kisame away, but not before the broad-sword bit into its flesh.  
  
The snake reared back and howled in pain, then dove forward, jaws wide-open, fangs exposed. Kisame leapt out of the way at the last second, letting the snake come up with a mouthful of snow. Manda hissed vengefully, and carved a wake in the snow, snapping at the shark, who was always one step ahead.  
  
Kisame stopped, suddenly, holding two fingers up in the air. Manda paused, confused, then lunged, jaws wide open, ready to strike -  
  
A shower of senbon cut through the air and made their way into the snake's open mouth, lodging in the back of its throat. Manda thrashed about in pain, trying to cry out, but gurgling and pouring blood instead.  
  
Aware that the snake was in its death throes, Orochimaru took to the treetops, as fast as he could. He was struck down, however, by another volley of senbon and he toppled, crashing to the ground by Kisame's feet, full of needles.  
  
Manda gave one last hiss and sprang forward, snapping off the treetops, then crashed to the ground, something clenched in its jaws.  
  
Orochimaru spat blood and glared at Kisame. "No fair," he hissed, getting back to his feet.  
  
Manda's body gave a shuddering sigh, its jaw falling open and out toppled its last victim, a young boy. Kisame swore. Orochimaru pulled a senbon out of his forearm and glared at Kisame. "Shall we finish this on our own?"  
  
Kisame turned to look back at the snake, who was coiled and ready to spring, but he never replied, as they were both distracted by the sound of something exploding, the screams of men dying, and then, the sound of fire.  
  
"Shit," Orochimaru spat, then took off in the direction of the blaze, leaving Kisame to stand there, mouth agape.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Sasuke woke with the same sickness crawling in the pit of his stomach. The moment he opened his eyes, it came back, flooding his every sense.  
  
He wasn't in Konoha, he was in Suna. The air smelt different, the heat was different, the bed he was lying in felt different, the person lying next to him was different. Naruto was gone, gone away; had been for days, and still, in the recesses of sleep, Sasuke could lead himself to believe that he was still living in his past.  
  
He felt detached, as though he had left his heart in Konoha. And he had, for his lineage originated there, he'd been born there, lived there, buried family there, left family there. And even though life had not been good, he missed it from the bottom of his very being.  
  
He missed the trees, the grasslands, the forests, everything until he could barely stand to remember more. He'd talked with one of the servant girls, another from Konoha. Her name was Hari, and she reminded him a bit of Naruto, with blonde hair and blue eyes and her carefree ways. But part of him knew she was lying, hiding behind a facade.  
  
She'd said he'd get used to Suna, and shrugged off any other questions he had relating to Konoha or her past. Her eyes had been sad then, so incredibly sad. He hadn't spoken to her since.  
  
He rolled over, onto his stomach, slowing his breathing, making it deeper, trying to drown the sickness. A hand was laid on his shoulder and he jumped, the sick feeling focring itself to the surface and he nearly lost it. He took a deep, shuddering breath and looked over at Asuma.  
  
The brown kitsune-jin had a lit cigarette in his mouth. Sasuke wished he wouldn't smoke, because it choked his lungs like an allergic reaction, but it wasn't his place to speak.  
  
"Is something wrong?" the kitsune-jin asked, pulling the smoke from his mouth and flicking the ashes away.  
  
Sasuke shook his head. He'd woken sick every morning that week - or perhaps it was a new week now, and he didn't know -and it was starting to become routine. He figured it would dissipate, as he adjusted to life in Suna.  
  
Asuma was strict, but good-natured, generally, but other than that, Sasuke didn't know much about the kitsune-jin. He liked it that way. He didn't want to know if he was a replacement for a dead wife, or a trophy or whatever else. He liked the air of secrecy Asuma had and the ktisune-jin allowed him the same. It was nice to go back, to retreat unto himself, to keep his thoughts locked away in his head, after he'd been so open, so free with Naruto.  
  
He sighed and turned his head, so not to smother himself with the pillow, though he felt he might have liked to at that point. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the birds outside, in the early morning, of the farm, of the wind in the trees, in the sand beyond the oasis.  
  
He listened to sheets rustle and heard Asuma's bare feet slap the barren clay floor. He smiled gently to himself, thinking that this house wasn't suited to small children, who might have fallen and would hurt themselves on the unpadded floor should they stumble.  
  
The desert was harsh and its inhabitants learned how to survive, or be killed, quickly. There was the rustling of clothing, signifying that Asuma was dressing. Sasuke did not move, content to lie there for a moment.  
  
At last, he moved, then froze immediately, a gasp of horror escaping his lips at the funny tingling that suddenly claimed his body. He shot up in bed, a hand to his abdomen, eyes wide.  
  
Asuma glanced back at him. "What's wrong?" the kitsune-jin asked, lazily.  
  
"N-nothing," he replied shakily, for he'd sat up too quickly and now the world was spinning at about one hundred revolutions per minute.  
  
The sick crawled back, up his neck, into his mouth. The world was going dark at the edges of his vision, and it was slowly creeping over everything, until the world was as black as the blackest night. He passed out.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Itachi cried out in pain and fell to his knees, breathing harshly, a hand feebly clutching at his stomach, trying to stop the shooting pain that had taken residence there.  
  
All around him, the scent of burning - burning blood, trees, bodies. He rolled to his side and threw up. Through his throbbing headache, he could hear the screaming, the crackling, the yelling, just at the edge of his consciousness.  
  
Someone was at his side, trying to shake him 'awake', but wasn't he already? He didn't know.  
  
He was pulled up out of the melting snow, slung over someone's shoulder, and suddenly, he was being jolted around and he guessed they were moving, jumping maybe. Escaping, getting away from that place. He fought the urge to be sick again.  
  
He cracked open an eye and looked around, only to find his vision unfocussed, and the world blurred, as if it was moving too quickly for him to see. He snapped his eye snut again, feeling the sick feeling return with increasing force. There was smoke, rising so thick into the air, and it was choking them now; they had to get off the mountain. Was the fire still burning? He couldn't hear it any more and -  
  
"Can you stand?" someone asked, and he thought he could, so he nodded and whoever it was set him down and left.  
  
He plunked down in the snow, unable to stand. The world spun violently. And the person was back now - was it Orochimaru? No, they had brown hair, brown eyes - and no time to think, up he was again and the sky seemed close enough to touch and he reached out, only to be dumped back into the snow and faint.  
  
Genma stared in disgust at the human in the snow. The idiot had started the fire and hadn't been able to save himself from it. Genma looked back, hoping to see some others, other Konoha soldiers emerging from the fire now that he'd managed to put it out; but there was nothing.  
  
He sighed. He supposed there might be injured survivors, but he'd have to look for them later, because Orochimaru would kill him if he left the human there, unattended.  
  
Speak of the devil, there was the snake himself. The general skidded to a stop, sending slush and snow up into Genma's face. The older man was out of breath and he was bloody, and he had several acupuncture needles stuck in his flesh.  
  
Nonetheless, he was down on his knees, tending to Itachi, trying to get the human to wake up. "Little idiot," he hissed at the boy's prone form. "You knew. . .you knew, you shouldn't have used any chakra. . ."  
  
Itachi coughed and revived, and the relief showed fiercely on Orochimaru's features. Genma sighed, and without a word, started back up the mountain to see if he could find any survivors.  
  
The Special Forces officer tried to silence the grim thoughts that danced through his mind, making him feel like a dead-weight, weighed down by emotions as heavy as lead. He could only be glad that it wasn't Hayate there, or he knew he wouldn't have trusted himself to stay in check, to keep his tears locked down.  
  
He chewed thoughtfully on his toothpick, looking down at the destruction in the bright morning light. The bodies, burnt now, were scattered all around. The blackened trees stood like markers on a grave site.  
  
Silently, pensively, Genma set about burying the dead. And when he was done with their remains, he erected a small stone monument on the mound of earth where they rested. He carved a small set of words into the stone, and the date, to let it be known to all who passed here that kitsune-jins had died, stupidly, pointlessly, needlessly. And he lay the remains of their weapons on the small patch of earth, out of respect for fallen warriors. He lowered his head and prayed to the house god of the Shurengai clan, and to the god of death for the safe return of their souls to the place where souls were born.  
  
And then, he left, leaving the remains to rot and rust, and the trees to grow again, and the wind and snow to erode the marker. Time went on.  
  
He found Orochimaru and Itachi in the place he left them, only now with a revived Manda by their sides. Itachi was sitting on the massive snake, looking decidedly better than he had. Genma shook his head and Orochimaru sighed, indicating some feeling about the loss of life. Itachi said nothing, looking as solemn as ever.  
  
They started back for Konoha, their feet freezing in the snow, even as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. Orochimaru was pensive the entire way, and with one last thought to what had transpired, he knew - Kisame had survived.  
  
He turned about, glaring at the mountain, half-expecting to see the shark standing at the top, following him, but there was nothing. He turned his back again, and walked away. It wasn't good to linger.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Asuma sat in his study, quill pen in hand, the tip dripping ink as he tried to put his thoughts in enough order to write them down.  
  
Outside his door, he could hear the clamouring of the slave girls over his new-found pet, who'd fainted. They were speaking in hushed voices and his ears twitched every now and then, trying to pick up on what they were saying.  
  
Sighing, he set his pen to parchment and began to scrawl a letter to the Yondaime. 'Dear Yondaime,' it began, for he never got any farther before one of the slave girls threw open the door to his study, exclaiming, "Master! Uchiha, he's -"  
  
Asuma waited for it, waited to hear her to say what was wrong with his new pet, so he could write a letter of complaint to the Yondaime.  
  
She looked at the floor, blushed lightly and said, in a hushed, disbelieving voice, "He's four months pregnant."  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Sakura was writing a letter home, when she heard the voices next door, rising, as though there were people yelling. She put down her pen, and sat, looking confused, trying very hard to over-hear what was going on.  
  
She knew that Naruto had been called from his bed early by someone, a maid most likely, and now, whoever had come to see him was yelling at him, and he was yelling back. They were both male voices, she determined, so it was two men fighting.  
  
Naruto and who? Who would dare fight with the prince of Konoha?  
  
She listened harder. This time, she caught snippets of the argument, like, "My wife" and "leave her alone".  
  
She narrowed her eyes in concentration. Was someone after her? Was someone going to try something on her, to spite her husband? She listened, but the door slammed shut and the argument had ended.  
  
She chewed on her lip thoughtfully.  
  
Had she continued to think, even for a few slight seconds more, she may have stumbled across the answer, but she did not, and instead, returned to her pen and ink and her thoughts about mundane things, such as letters to her parents.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Temari shuffled her feet nervously. Her sharp green eyes read, and re-read the letter that she clutched tightly in her hand, nearly crushing it. She could tear it up right now, forget that the words had ever been written and forget about this.  
  
That was what she should have done. But she didn't, too horrified, too jumbled to comprehend what she should have done.  
  
This was the first time in forever that her brother, Kankuro, who still lived in the West, in Suna, had written a letter to her. She had found it very odd that he did this, and when she read it, she found that he had not written merely to chatter with her.  
  
He had bad news, and he was sorry to inform her that her little scheme's time was all used up. The truth was out, at least in the desert, and soon, it would be coming to Konoha, via a livewire of gossip and rumours.  
  
Her hand shook and she let the paper fall to the floor, her hand becoming nerveless and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in fear, and frustration.  
  
All that work, all that fighting to act as though she was truly sorry for them, and now, now it was all wasted, because it had been found out anyways. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, angry tears and yell and scream at the cruel world for crushing her this way.  
  
The news that Uchiha Sasuke was pregnant, even before he left Konoha, was going to come back and destroy her.  
  
Hastily, without a second thought, she disposed of the incriminating evidence that was littered about her work area, throwing them away, as quickly as she could, then setting the wastepaper basket on fire. No one would question this - she was always doing strange things in order for her medicine to work properly.  
  
She watched the papers burn away into nothing, and she knew that soon, as soon as that letter came to Naruto's grasp, her world would burn away the same way.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Now then, this was a pretty fix, the Yondaime thought, chewing thoughtfully on his thumb.  
  
The paper was from Suna, yes, the writing belonged to Asuma, and yet, the words seemed sloppy and so unfitting of a kitsune-jin noble. The letter stated in bold words that Asuma had found fault with Uchiha, that Uchiha was - god forbid the truth of this statement - pregnant, and that Asuma wanted to give him back, exchange him, refund him.  
  
Yondaime said and rocked back in his chair, murmuring to the ceiling, "Well, this is a pretty mess, isn't it?"  
  
The ceiling said nothing in reply. Yondaime grinned ridiculously, crumpling the note and throwing it into the wastepaper basket. He was going to pretend the note had never reached him, that he had never read it, and he would say that perhaps, by some odd twist of fate, it got lost in the mail, or thrown out, or disregarded as important.  
  
No, he wasn't having Uchiha return here, not after Naruto was just settling down, just getting his life back on track. It was such a terrible scandal, too, that he just couldn't allow it. Asuma could suck it up and say lie, and explain to the kitsune-jins in his village that he got the human knocked up. Yondaime was sure the Western kitsune-jins did that enough to understand.  
  
He snorted and stood up, his bitter thoughts still chasing each other around in his head. Asuma could deal with Uchiha now, Uchiha was no longer the concern of anyone in Konoha.  
  
And Konoha was a better place for that fact.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Naruto stormed out onto the balcony, his bare feet digging into the ice and snow, and he hoped it would cool his temper.  
  
His eyes were narrowed, his teeth were bared, and he was clenching and unclenching his fists in anger, rage, that was so unbecoming of a prince.  
  
Still, when he was threatened, when he was accused of a crime he did not commit, he got his back up. He most certainly had not committed the crime that Inuzuka Kiba had accused him of. He had not slept with the kitsune-jin's wife; he had his own to sleep with, even if she was never very willing.  
  
He had done nothing more to Hinata than a simple thank-you, the same way that all members of the royal thanked each other, with a gentle peck to the lips. He had assumed it was the same in all kitsune-jin families, to signify closeness and the tightness of the family circle, to represent unity in the family unit.  
  
Now, he saw differently. The act had offended Hinata, he supposed, and she'd told her husband, who had taken it to another level and assumed that there was something Hinata had not told him, something more beyond what she explained as Naruto's actions.  
  
And the damn Inuzuka had accused him of sleeping with his wife!  
  
Naruto snarled and clenched his hands about the railing of the balcony, letting his claws break into the ice there.  
  
Kyuubi, he was so mad! He hadn't been this angry in ages!  
  
He hadn't been able to get it through that thick-skulled idiot's head that he had done nothing more to Hinata than what she had said, only that had been something that his entire family practised!  
  
It never occurred to him that Kiba had noted that his wife had been acting more shy than she usually was, and had been jumpy and blushing at the slightest things, and more than eager to get up, and go to work for chance she might see the prince.  
  
Kiba was not stupid, and he put two and two together to come up with the most logical conclusion he had.  
  
Hinata was having an affair with the prince. And even though that was about as far from the truth as he could have been, he had held the theory to be true, and argued it, taking Naruto's own words and throwing them back at him, like poison darts.  
  
They'd argued until their voices had become hoarse, and their throats raw and painful. And still, they'd argued more, beyond that point, and they had continued until Kiba, fed up with Naruto's lies, with one final threat to the prince's life should he ever touch Hinata, stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut.  
  
Naruto had then stalked out onto the balcony and there he stood still, his feet numbing in the snow, his fingers going all tingly and raw because of the cold that had taken up residence in the air that encircled Konoha.  
  
He gritted his teeth and growled, and unable to sate the anger like that, swore, loudly, and was glad that there were no garden workers in the winter, for they might have heard him and then rumours might have started.  
  
The last thing he needed right now was rumours.  
  
If Sakura heard about this, he could only imagine the verbal beating he would receive. He swore his new wife was emotionally, psychologically abusive, and he wished he had known sooner so that he could have backed out of the marriage, no matter how shameful that was.  
  
He'd been back home for maybe two weeks at best, and now this was exploding in his face, and he was already sick of Sakura and her constant nagging, her 'I'm better than you' act, her stupid pink hair and her stupid eyes. He was tired of her, all around, because she was so tired of him, and she took that boredom out on him, with words and hurts he hadn't known to exist before.  
  
He sighed and supposed the problem with women was that they were all together less physical than men, and found other ways to overpower them, and overthrow them, wheedling their way into heart, then breaking them, wearing those who loved them out, and down, degrading with words and actions.  
  
He could hear someone laughing, probably as they walked by the palace gates, because he couldn't see them, but he could hear two hushed voices, on the streets, talking with one another.  
  
There was a sheepish knock at the door, and then, Hinata peeped into the room, looking guilty and terribly sorry. "N-naruto-sama," she said, her voice stuttering more than usual.  
  
She stepped in and shut the door. The two voices were still going on, gossiping about nothing.  
  
Goddamnit, he'd give them something to talk about. He turned to face Hinata.  
  
He'd give them something to talk about, he resolved, as he kissed her harshly. 


	11. Blue, Blue Sky

(A/N: For some reason, I believe I failed to mention that this fic is only twelve (12) chapters long, making this the second last chapter, and the next one, the last chapter. Unless, of course, there's popular demand for a continuation, because the ending is not satisfactory.  
  
Thanks for over 100 reviews!  
  
KageKitsune16: Naruto does as he pleases. I'm wondering what Sasuke's going to do about naming the baby too.  
  
ManicReversed: Indeed.  
  
Nicola DEE: I think you're going to be disappointed by Asuma's actions then. Naruto did more than kiss Hinata, so she's must estatic.  
  
penguiin: Indeed, the plot does thicken.  
  
viciouscallisto: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!  
  
JadeTiger: I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  
  
Melrose Stormhaven: Here's the update!  
  
Mata: I'm glad you're finding the fic interesting.  
  
Yuen-chan: My feet are still in it. Just kidding, just kidding. Yay, warm stuff! I had miso soup today, and it was sooooo warm. . .Mmm. I was a happy person. lol  
  
Suna no Gaara: I'm glad you're enjoying the fic, as well as my 'scientific' reasoning behind the mpreg in the story.  
  
Mistress Ethereal: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!  
  
And now, on with the fic!)  
  
Chapter 11: Blue, Blue Sky  
  
The desert sands swirled about them violently.  
  
Asuma seemed nervous. They'd been walking for hours, and every so often, the brown kitsune-jin was looking back over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one was following them.  
  
Sasuke wanted to ask where they were going. He knew of nowhere beyond Suna in the desert, though he supposed there had to be something on the other side of the wasteland. It would take them days to cross, though, and Asuma had brought nothing with them, no water, no food, no blankets, so Sasuke was left to wonder what his master was up to.  
  
Another reason he knew they were not crossing the desert was that, in his condition, he was not supposed to do anything strenuous, and he supposed that roughing it in the desert could count as 'strenuous'.  
  
The wind picked up more sand and blew it into his face, making him cough and sputter. Asuma stopped abruptly, and looked around, as if he were confused. Sasuke had the sinking feeling that they'd been walking around in circles.  
  
Asuma swore and frowned, his eyes scanning the horizon. Sasuke regarded him coolly for a moment or two, then said, "We're lost, aren't we?"  
  
Asuma nodded grimly, offered some cheap apology, and hurriedly said he was going to see if he couldn't find Suna again. Sasuke was to wait there, just in case some unlikely traveller happened by and he could hitch a ride back to Suna, and maybe then, get help and send them to find Asuma.  
  
Sasuke, now, was by no means stupid. He'd been watching Asuma, and he'd noticed the jumpy behaviour of the kitsune-jin, and he was sure that it meant he was up to something. The wind had erased any and all of their footprints, and Sasuke had to question Asuma's motives for bringing him into the desert anyways.  
  
He was sure that Asuma, having lived all his life in this place, had to know the area somewhat better than he did, even with all the shifting sands and such, and he had no doubt in his mind that Asuma knew his way back perfectly.  
  
So, when the kitsune-jin told him to stay and wait, he knew that Asuma's only purpose was to get rid of him, in a way that could not incriminate him for murder, and no one would purchase a boy slave who was nearly five months pregnant.  
  
He wasn't about to take being abandoned lying down.  
  
"You know where you're going," he'd said, so coolly, so calmly that even in the desert, he still felt like ice.  
  
Asuma shook his head. "No, I've got no idea, Sasuke, I'm sorry..."  
  
"I'm going back with you. I'm not an idiot. You know your way back, and you'll leave me to die out here," he accused, his voice rough, adding to its icy tune, from lack of use.  
  
Asuma grit his teeth. "I wouldn't do that to you, Sasuke. Believe me."  
  
Sasuke snorted and regarded him with cool eyes. "I know that you've been talking of trying to sell me. You just can't do it, you can't get rid of me by yourself, so you're going to let nature do me in."  
  
Asuma had slapped him at that point and cried, "You insolent little whore! Shut up and listen to your master!"  
  
Sasuke stumbled back, unprepared for the force of the blow and he tripped on a dune and fell, landing hard on his rump.  
  
The wind howled loudly, and he shut his eyes against it and the sand it held in its tresses. When he finally opened his eyes again, Asuma was gone, and his footprints had been washed away by the hungry wind.  
  
He sat there for the longest time, letting it sink in that, he was alone, in the desert, without anything, and pregnant. Miserably, he had hauled himself to his feet and started to walk, tears stinging at his eyes, not because of the wind.  
  
Great, just great. He was stuck, because he could not find his way to Suna without a guide - he had no doubt of that.  
  
He scrubbed his forearm across his eyes and started to walk, feeling the heat waver up from the sand, which slid under his feet and made walking hard. The sun was rising higher into the clear blue sky, and it was getting warmer and warmer. He had nowhere to take shelter from the stinging rays, he had no place to escape to. He had no water to quench his suddenly rising thirst.  
  
This was bad. He was going to die out here, wasn't he? There was little doubt about it.  
  
He sat down, with the ground burning beneath him and the sky burning above him. At this rate, he was going to spontaneously combust, or something along those lines. He wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead.  
  
He wasn't sure that he could entirely blame Asuma for trying to get rid of him thus. After all, there was a chance that the child inside of him would be born looking like its father, and not the mother, and Asuma would then have trouble, trying to explain why the child bore no resemblance to himself, or Sasuke for that matter.  
  
And what good was a used slave? What use was a slave who had someone else's child, what good was he when he was swelling with each passing day, finding his movements restricted?  
  
He stared miserably down at himself, feeling stupid and trapped. What could he do? This was all Naruto's stupid fault! It was his fault, and his stupid family's for. . .for. . .  
  
He screamed and tore at his hair, frustrated, tears starting to roll down his flushed face. He threw him himself to the ground, beating it with his fist and sending up dust and sand into the air, making himself choke and cough.  
  
"It isn't fair!" he wailed to the empty air, breaking down and throwing the tantrum that had been brewing inside for years. "Why is it always me who gets screwed over?! Why is it my life that is always living hell?! Why can't this happen to someone else?! What did I do?! What did I do to deserve this?! Why, why, why?!"  
  
He sobbed, then curled to his side, his tears wetting the dusty ground, if only for a second or two before they evaporated.  
  
He opened his eyes a bit, staring across the ground, which was uneven, marked with little rises and falls. He picked out different colours, all earthy hues, in the sand granules, and some of them even seemed to sparkle as the sunlight changed and moved.  
  
Finally, he hauled himself back to his feet, well aware that lying there in the hot sun and crying was doing nothing more than dehydrating himself faster. He glanced up at the sky, which seemed to roll on forever above him, a perfect blue.  
  
There wasn't a cloud in the sky, which meant no rain again today.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Kakashi sighed and stacked all the papers on his desk as neatly as he could be bothered to, setting the pen down onto the desk, resting his aching hand. He felt like he'd been writing forever.  
  
If there was one thing he hated about his job, it was the paperwork.  
  
It had been a busy week, or at least, the paperwork stated so. There had been the massacre in the woods just North of Konoha, and Kakashi, though he hadn't even been there, had to read Genma's report on it, validate that the truth was told, and sign the necessary papers that said the truth had been told.  
  
If that wasn't enough, the Yondaime had to recruit a whole new army, so here he was, sorting through the candidates, looking at resumes, and all that lovely crap. He had to conduct about two thousand interviews, within the next two weeks, and then, there was all the death certificates and papers he had to deal with surrounding deaths in the Special Forces. He could only be glad he didn't lead the army, because there had been more deaths there.  
  
Then, their beloved king had decided a crack-down of enforcement was needed, to make sure that everyone toeing the line kept on the right side of it, and that just because they had lost a significant amount of man-power did not mean they were going to keel over and die.  
  
Kakashi had another lovely little pile of papers, the criminal records and such of the criminals they'd hauled in during the past five days.  
  
He slid all the finished papers into a file folder and marked it, then stood up, taking it with him, ready to take the Yondaime his weekly report.  
  
He paused when he saw Naruto standing in the doorway, his arms cross, his face decidedly serious.  
  
"Yo," greeted the older kitsune-jin, almost questioningly.  
  
Naruto glanced at him, then turned his attention back to the wall. "I heard you lost a lot of men," he said, his voice sounding dull and tired.  
  
Kakashi wondered what was wrong. "Yes," he replied, evenly. "The battle was a massacre on both sides."  
  
Naruto pursed his lips, then pushed himself off the wall and walked toward his superior officer, saying, "Do you need any help with anything?"  
  
Kakashi shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't need help - he was overwhelmed and he would have welcomed Naruto's extra help, but he simply couldn't. The prince was bound now, for a few weeks at least, in royal matters, such as legalizing his marriage, and consummating it.  
  
"Too bad," the blond kitsune-jin said. "I can see your desk from here, and it's like a tornado hit it."  
  
Kakashi sighed. "Naruto. . ," he started in a warning tone.  
  
He really didn't have time for the prince's games right now. The prince shrugged and wandered into the office, sitting himself down at the Special Forces' officer's desk, helping himself to the pen, the ink and the paperwork.  
  
Kakashi shook his head and walked away, too busy for the argument that would ensue if he continued to talk to the blond.  
  
He left the Special Forces' headquarters, a dusty little building on Main Street, heading toward the palace, about a fifteen minute walk for a normal person - which translated to about five minutes for Kakashi, who went, by rooftop, running and jumping, until he finally landed on the sill of one of the castle windows and walked along the ledge until he came to the window of the Yondaime's office.  
  
He was about to throw it open and hop in, as he usually did, but he paused, just beyond it, hearing voices from within. The Yondaime was speaking to someone, who Kakashi later placed as Jiraiya.  
  
They were talking about. . .something? Someone.  
  
He listened harder, careful to stay out of view of the window. If they found he'd been eavesdropping, well. . .the consequences might just be unpleasant.  
  
". . .trying to send him back?"  
  
". . .can't do that. . ."  
  
"Who. . ."  
  
"Five."  
  
". . .pregnant?"  
  
". . .keep quiet. . ."  
  
There the conversation stopped, almost abruptly, and there was the sound of a closing door and Kakashi waited, for a moment or two, before making his grand appearance into the Yondaime's study. Inside, he was troubled, but outwardly he put on his trademark grin, letting his eyes curve up and waved happily to his king.  
  
If the Yondaime had noticed that he'd been outside during the aforementioned conversation, he said nothing.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
It was dark and late when Kakashi returned to the Special Forces building, and everyone had gone home. Except Naruto, who was still sitting at his desk, pouring over the paperwork, the single solitary light burning from his desktop lamp.  
  
Kakashi frowned. "Naruto," he said, announcing his presence to the young kitsune-jin, who merely held up a finger, asking him to wait a moment or two.  
  
"It's late," he stated, glancing at the clock and ignoring the prince's request. "Shouldn't you be at home?"  
  
Naruto shrugged and set the pen down, finally, sighing. He sat back, resting his hands above his head. "I haven't done anything lately, Kakashi. I'm dying to be busy, to have something to do."  
  
Kakashi glared. "You do have something to do," he growled. "You have someone waiting for you in bed."  
  
Naruto sighed again, almost wistfully, waving his hand in a carefree manner. "Ah, I wish she would. But she's probably asleep by now."  
  
Kakashi looked almost dumbfounded. "You mean to say that. . ."  
  
Naruto laughed bitterly, rocking back in his chair. "Ha! Consummated the marriage?! By Kyuubi, no, not even close! She's as cold as the Northern winds, that one! I have yet to lay a hand on her without getting slapped."  
  
"Ah. . .I see," Kakashi said slowly.  
  
He really did not see, for he'd never had problems with women, but perhaps that was because he had known all the wrong types of females - those who were sleazy, underdressed, loved attention, those who worked in bars, and so on and so forth. To him, it seemed strange that there was a woman out there who did not like to be touched, to be told she was beautiful and given attention to.  
  
Naruto had taken up the pen again, and was scratching at the report file he was doing, almost angrily. "She's such an uptight priss," he hissed through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing in contempt. "I can't understand her some days. At least with Sasuke, I could. . ."  
  
The blond trailed off, looking almost as though he were daydreaming, then shook his head violently, as if to rid himself of overly pleasing thoughts. Kakashi shook his head as well, watching Naruto push true feelings away.  
  
Speaking of Sasuke, Kakashi suddenly recalled the conversation he had 'accidentally' overheard and his head snapped up, his visible grey eye resting on Naruto's form, outlined harshly by the light, with the dark pressing hard at him from all sides.  
  
There was some sort of metaphor in that image, he thought to himself, but shook off the idea and ploughed ahead, saying, "Naruto?"  
  
The blond tilted his head to him a little bit, but did not look at him, or anything otherwise. Kakashi continued. "I overheard your father talking to your grandfather today."  
  
"Yes," the blond replied, his voice almost venomous. Whatever he'd been thinking before had put him in a sour mood. "They do that from time to time, as family members should."  
  
Kakashi ignored the boy's bitterness and went on, as though he were oblivious to the sting. "I do believe they were talking about Sasuke."  
  
Naruto stiffened visibly, stopping and dropping the pen, as if it had burned him. He slowly turned his gaze to look at Kakashi, an expression of horror and anger swirling there. Kakashi nearly grinned, but instead, lowered his gaze and nodded.  
  
"What makes you think that?" the blond asked, his voice hollow, and choked somehow, as if there was too much emotion there to convey any at all.  
  
"What they said led me to believe that Asuma is attempting to get rid of him, because he's with child."  
  
Kakashi glanced up, just in time to see Naruto act like a fish out of water. His mouth was agape for a second or two, and then, he opened and shut it, as if trying to form words, but his vocal chords had stopped working.  
  
Finally, he gritted his teeth and shredded a paper - probably an important one, Kakashi later mused - between his hands, growling, "Temari."  
  
He was up and gone like a flash of lightening, the double doors of the building flapping and banging in the wind, the cold night air swirling in. Kakashi stared, then sighed, realizing he'd been left alone with the paperwork once more.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Far away, in the desert night, a coyote howled to the moon. Sasuke shivered again, wrapping his arms about himself tighter. He was either going to burn to death, or freeze to death, neither of which were pleasant options.  
  
The wind howled along the dunes, now turned cold, and huge difference from the daytime.  
  
He paused, identifying a different sound in the desert night. It sounded like. . .voices.  
  
And there were, as people came running over a dune, sand sliding down under the pressure of their feet. They were talking in a strange dialect, something that he couldn't understand, and he could only stare at them confusedly.  
  
One of them tugged him to his feet and the others - there were five or so - seemed to scrutinize him, and he cringed, trying to shrink up into himself, and hide away from their eyes. He felt so shy, and he couldn't get away from them. They'd circled around him, and now -  
  
One of them had his grubby little paw on his stomach, and he felt the utter need to get away, to get that hand off, to protect. He started yelling, not caring how ragged his voice already was, not caring how dry his throat was, not caring that they didn't understand him at all.  
  
They curled back a bit, and they huddled, discussing something amongst themselves. They glared at him with their wicked beady eyes and he realized the fault of that movement, for they were probably his only chance at being rescued, and now, he'd bungled it and they would either kill him, or leave him there to die.  
  
He did the only sensible thing he could do. He covered his face with his hands and started to cry. He felt so pathetic for doing it, but he couldn't control the tears, because he was just so sick and tired of everything, and he just wanted to lie down and go to sleep and not have to worry about what was going to happen to him tomorrow.  
  
The little band of men, kitsune-jins, he thought, seeing their ears twitch in the moonlight, moved back to surround him, and they were trying to shush him, he could tell, even though he didn't understand their speech. One of them put his arm about his shoulders, gently, and started to walk, slowly, and stupidly, blindly, Sasuke started to follow.  
  
The strange men had a small camp set up about three sand dunes away from where he'd been resting, and they had a fire and food and a horse and wagon. Sasuke had never been so happy to see fire, to see a dirty, worn-out horse, to see the pile of wood on wheels they called a cart.  
  
They left him near the fire, with a blanket draped about his shoulders, and a slice or two of bread, with something like potatoes, and maybe a mushy substance that was meat or something, and some water, while they went and huddled by themselves, talking in their strange language, probably discussing what they should do with the human.  
  
Sasuke didn't care. He was safe for the moment.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Temari nearly jumped out of her skin as the door to her office slammed open, into the wall, knocking some of the mortar loose. She turned about, slowly, fearing what she would see there.  
  
Blue eyes snapped with rage and glared daggers at her. "You," Naruto sputtered, taking a step forward into the room.  
  
Temari decided her best bet was to act confused. "Is there something wrong, Naruto?"  
  
He'd charged across the floor now, and grabbed her by the front of her garb, shoving his face into hers, so that they were nose to nose. His breath scalded across her skin.  
  
"You lying, cheating bitch!" he yelled, and she closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.  
  
"My lord, what's wrong?"  
  
He decked her. He didn't care if she was a woman, he didn't care at all. She had lied to him, lied to him about something important! "Why the hell did you do that?!" he cried, frustration seeping into his tone.  
  
She held her cheek, which was already starting to swell, feeling the counter crunch into the small of her back as she stumbled backwards. "Do...do what?" she asked, her voice trembling in fear.  
  
It wasn't because Naruto scared her, not he himself, but what he could do to her, if he felt so inclined. All her medical knowledge would be worthless if he decided to dismiss her, because none would hire a doctor dismissed by the royal family.  
  
"Why did you lie about Sasuke?! Why?!"  
  
She turned her head away, looking at the floor. So, he did know, he knew the truth. She bit her lip, silencing herself before she could blurt anything to make this situation worse. "I...I.," she stuttered, searching herself for an excusable reason.  
  
"I...wanted him for myself," she said finally, and never turned to look at Naruto. If he knew that much of the truth, he might as well know the whole truth.  
  
Naruto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, growling, but he said nothing, and finally, he turned away and left, just as quickly as he came.  
  
Temari sighed, and sat on the cold ground in the dark, thinking deeply.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Sakura stumbled stupidly from her slumber into the world of consciousness, as the sounds of a whirling tornado of rage reached her.  
  
She sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning, watching as things were hurled about the room in a fit of anger, the dresser drawers were yanked open, then slammed shut with so great of force that they echoed.  
  
And finally, the blond tornado hurled himself onto the bed, growling and clenching his fists, unable to extinguish all the rage at being wronged that existed inside him.  
  
Sakura stared at Naruto, never having seen him so. . .distressed, so angry. It scared her. And in a way, it comforted her, because it made her feel she was closer to him, because he was allowing her to see him like this, and not like the normal happy, hyper person he usually was in her presence. It made him seem real to her, for the very first time.  
  
"Naruto," she asked, hesitantly laying a hand on her husband's shoulder. "What's wrong?"  
  
He relaxed himself, his face, his hands and opened his eyes and looked at her. "It's Sasuke," he said with a sigh.  
  
There was a name she had wished never to hear again. "What about him?" she asked, and bitterness must have sounded in her voice, because she could taste it on her tongue.  
  
"He's. . ."  
  
How to say this? The situation was awkward, and it was rightfully so. How to tell his wife that his male bed-slave was carrying his child?  
  
"He's not come back, has he?" the woman asked, and he shook his head, closing his eyes.  
  
"Though he should," he mumbled.  
  
"Whatever for?" Sakura spat, indicating she did not like the idea of the human ever returning.  
  
Naruto stared at the ceiling, trying keep his face blank, his voice level. How would she react to this? Badly, no doubt. She'd be angry with him, which was really the last thing he needed, for all he needed right then was an excuse to be angry with her, a reason to ignore her, and be cross with her, and put all his anger toward her. It was too easy to redirect his rage to her.  
  
"He's with child," he said, finally, his voice sounding hollow, even to him. "My child."

- - - - - - - - - -

A/N: R&R? Please?


	12. Wicked Winter Winds

(A/N: Quick apology to everyone who was waiting for this chapter; as we all know, the sitehas been down off and on for the past week, which was when I was going to wait til to update this, so I could coincide it with the "And the Beat Goes On" update.

Thanks for over 125 reviews!

As I said last chapter: This is the FINAL CHAPTER.

It doesn't answer all questions, so IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, please feel free to E-MAIL me (e-mail on my bio page) OR REVIEW and LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS so I can get back to you.

Or, you can all be very evil and yell at me and such and demand a new chapter: an epilogue.

Again, thanks for all the reviews!

Nicola DEE: A cliffhanger? That? Oy. . .I don't even remember what I wrote, how can I comment?

KageKitsune16: lol Indeed, you can't just let a guy like Sasuke die. XD My friends would kill me (they're all Sasuke fangirls. Scary.)

artemis347: I'm glad you're enjoying the fic!

jadetiger: That it could have. As for the questions you asked, you'll just have to find out. . .

Mistress Ethereal: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. The title actually came from a chapter title from one of my other fics and has a sort of double meaning: Fair, as in a fair or an event - A Fair of Torture; the other meaning is contradictory: Torture isn't very nice, but 'fair' can mean just that. If you really think about it, there's a third meaning: we say something is 'fair' or 'unfair', and torture isn't all too fair, when you think about it.

Sugahlei: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Melrose Stormhaven: I'm glad you're enjoying the story; I think you'll be pleased with this chapter, or at least specific events in it.

ManicReversed: lol We all like it when we're right. And you shall wait no longer!

Spectre: Happy birthday! I'm glad you're enojying the story!

Elk: I'm really glad to hear you're enjoying the story so much, and that you preserveered with it, even though you didn't enjoy the first chapter!

Kansou: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! As for the kitsune-jins, I do mean something new entirely, not demons or half-breeds or shapeshifters, but thanks for the definitions!

Kaiyo No Hime: I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story! I hope you were okay after your ordeal in the desert!

arora: I'm glad you're enjoying the : Thank you very much. Writing professionally is what I want to do, but I've got a back-up plan just in case that doesn't work out. Thanks for the vote of confidence, though!

Yuen-chan: Well, you see, you set your fingers to the keyboard and type 'the end'. Just kidding. It's not a solid, concrete be-all-end-all type ending, which is how I managed to 'tie it up' in this last chapter.

viciouscallisto: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Suna no Gaara: Part of the reason this is so 'short' is that I already have a fic that's 30 chapters long (and still going) and is about 17 pages long per chapter. It takes me about four hours, non-stop to write a new chapter for that, and when I sat down to write this, I had the fact I didn't want to go on and on and on forever with it in mind. But I will consider an epilogue for this, if some of you are insistent. . .I'm glad you're enjoying the fic!

Baka possessed Neko: Oh my! Candy and ramen and brownies?! Unfortunately, I can't eat any of that. . .accursed wisdom teeth. Sorry about the long wait for the update! I'm glad you enjoyed the story!

penguiin: No nail-biting! Here's the next chapter; sorry about the delay!

Amei: Here is the update! After a long delay ::mumble mumble:: Enjoy!

And now, on with the fic!)

Chapter 12: Wicked Winter Winds

The end was near.

At least, that was what Uchiha Itachi believed, as he lay on the bed, having been in agonizing pain since early that morning, before the sun had even dared to shine.

It did not sit well with the Uchiha to wake so early, in so much pain. The sheets tangled about his body, which was slick and sticky with sweat. His bangs stuck to his forehead, and into his eyes.

He panted and clutched at the blankets, as another wave of pain rolled over him and broke, causing him to cry out. His voice was already run ragged, and he felt sore all over, as if he'd been run over by a rampaging horse.

The baby was two months early.

At first, he'd passed it off as a simple false alarm, because he couldn't nearly be ready to go into labour yet; it simply wasn't possible.

But as time passed, and the pain got worse, it became more and more plausible that the baby was being born, ready for the world or not.

The sun had already crept into the sky by the time he'd figured that he should go and see someone with medical training, and by that point, he was panicky, because he'd never, ever felt pain like that before.

He'd been asking questions at first - what were the chances of the baby surviving? What were the chances it would die? Was there something wrong with him? Was there going to be something wrong with the baby?

Nobody could really answer him, and now, Temari was the only one in the room with him, and he felt so shy and stupid, because he couldn't do anything but what she said, but he didn't want to - he wanted her not to see him like this.

Kabuto was a medic, that was true enough, but he had not been trained in delivering babies and things like that. Temari, on the other hand, had, and she was the only one suited to be there with him now.

He tried to keep his mind blank, tried to just focus on what he had to do, focus on the pain, just to keep himself grounded, and not bother with all the other stuff floating around in his head, making his brain feel like soup.

Why? Why, why, why? Why was the baby so early? Why did it hurt so much?

He needed to shut his mind up, he needed to shut it down. He needed to not think, but act on instinct, like he usually did, because everything came naturally to Uchiha Itachi.

Well, not quite everything anymore.

He hadn't been quite sure how he'd deal with being a mother, for mothers were supposed to be gentle and kind, and he vaguely remembered his own to be that way, and he was nothing like that. He was brash, bold, and uncaring of the world.

Now, it looked like he didn't have to deal with that, but he had to deal with loss, the loss of something that could have been precious to him, could have perhaps kept him alive a little longer, because if he was important to the baby, and the baby was important to Orochimaru, then Orochimaru wouldn't dare send him away.

He had to deal with everything else that had happened to him. He wasn't made to do this, he wasn't made to play the woman, not at all. His body still seemed wired like a male's, even if he did know, for sure now, that this curse actually existed.

Another push, another strain, another wave of pain forcing the breath up out of his lungs.

How long was this going to last? How long could he put up with this stinging pain?

Temari's voice was in his ear, telling him to do something, but he couldn't think of what he was supposed to do, he couldn't understand her. It was as if she was speaking a whole different language.

Push, his body told him, so he did. It was the only sensible thing to do, it was the only way he could stop the pain, it was the only way.

Temari was gone now, and the pain was relaxing, everything was relaxing, like his tired body, and there was a tiny, feeble cry, barely loud enough to reach past the hazy fog in his head.

It was over, it was over now, this was the end.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The wagon rolled over the endless sand dunes, up one side, then down the other, and then up again. It was almost as if they were at sea, and the water was sand, and the waves were dunes. It was making Sasuke sea-sick, because he didn't think you could get sand-sick.

The winds had died down since the day before, and there was only a fine layer of dust in the air as they went on. He was silent in the corner, and nobody said anything to him, and he said nothing to anybody, because he couldn't understand them and they couldn't understand him.

It worked out.

At long last, the desert sands started to fade away, into a memory behind them, and hardy grasses sprung up in its place, and gradually gave way to the softer grasses that he had known back home.

Home. He wondered which direction they were travelling in. Were they taking him toward Konoha, or further away from it? He couldn't be sure. He wondered, absently, how long he'd been gone. A month, two?

He couldn't be sure, because nobody had ever informed him when he had arrived in Suna, and he was left to separate the days, not by numbers and dates, but by 'yesterday' and 'today.'

Thinking soon wore a hole in his head, from running about in circles, and he decided to lay himself down and rest while he could.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naruto looked at Hinata, who sat, with her head down, blushing so hard that he thought she might explode due to the massive amount of blood in her face. She could not look him in the eye this morning, and he knew why.

He was stopping this, before it got too out of hand, before it became another scandal, because he already had one too many of those.

She thought it was her, that she had done something wrong to displease him, but no, that wasn't the case. She had been so warm, so gentle and he'd felt so alive while he was in her arms, that he'd nearly forgotten the frigid cold his heart had become encased in since Sasuke had gone.

Hinata had been so warm and welcoming to him. She had accepted everything he did, without question, and with praise, and she cooed at him and held him when they were through, and he'd been content to stay like that, just forever, because Hinata, though she did not possess strength of any physical merit, could protect him and would protect him from the world outside.

But no, they couldn't stay like that, for fear of getting caught, and the relationship was not pure, because of the fear, because of the thrill of the fear. Kiba might catch on, he might smell someone else on his wife, and then, they'd be caught. Sakura might figure it out, she was brilliant, Naruto couldn't deny, and then, they'd be caught.

It had to stop.

And there was another reason. He loved her, he truly did, but it was more of an awkward love, as one loves a sister or a brother and grudgingly admits it, though not too often and more through actions than words. And the one he truly loved was going to return to him and bear his child.

It ended here, and he told her so, and when she sat down and looked so hurt, he had wanted to explain, so tenderly why, and explain until she understood, and just talk the night away, explaining uselessly to her, until she finally saw the light, in the morning.

But he couldn't, because that coldness was seeping back into him, and it wouldn't truly go away until Sasuke returned to him, his bed, and his arms.

He didn't want to hurt her, oh, he didn't! She was too sweet and gentle to be hurt, and she was so fragile that she looked like she might break. There were tears in her eyes, oh no, he'd hurt her and he'd made her cry.

But he did want to hurt her. He had wanted to hurt her from the moment he took this up, because you did not sneak around with someone unless you were trying to hurt them, because you knew that after you were caught, the thrill was over, and that was all there had been there for you anyways, an adrenaline rush that suddenly didn't exist any longer.

He left her, like he'd been left, and he went away to let her become as cold as he. Somehow, though, he doubted she'd ever be as cold as he, for she just wasn't like that; she couldn't be cold, not ever, not in his mind at least. His memories would always remind him that she was warm and gentle, caring and kind, and for her to be anything else was utter heresy.

It had ended.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sakura wasn't speaking to Naruto, and he wasn't even attempting to talk to her, which suited her just fine.

He was bringing that damned human back, just to torment her! He thought it was funny to see her belittle herself in her head. He thought it was funny that a human boy could be so much more than a kitsune-jin noble woman.

She hated him for it, she hated that damn human with all her heart. He took away her chance to be something to someone, to be higher than everyone else. If she was acknowledged as that perfect thing to the prince, then she was higher than everyone else, on a pedestal so high, that it disappeared into the clouds.

But she was not that perfect thing. The human was, and that made her angry and sad all at once, and the two feelings meshed together until she wasn't sure how she should feel, what she felt.

It was all very confusing, but one thing was very clear. She hated him. It was like a needle in her mind.

Naruto was bringing him back, and he was going to cause hell in her world all over again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gaara was conversing with one of the men, who came monthly, to deliver their saleable items to the proprietor of this little business. They were farmers from the far side of Suna, who grew and collected and made whatever he wanted to sell, or other drug dealers wanted for that matter.

He'd been dealing with these folks for about a year now, he mused, and what they brought was always pure and good, of the highest quality. He liked it, but he was the only one who could speak to them, for they spoke a strange language, that neither the kitsune-jins of Konoha, nor the humans natively spoke.

Gaara, being the intuitive fellow he was, had quickly picked up on it and learned the language well enough to speak with them and deal with them.

That wasn't what held his attention right now though.

There, just down on the street, part of the little caravan was helping someone out of their creaky old wagon - he supposed they'd need a new one soon, but with the money they had, why did they not already have one? - and it looked to be a human. More specifically, it looked to be a human boy, one he would have called by the name Uchiha Sasuke.

The man he was talking to looked back over his shoulder to see what he was staring at. "Oh, that," he sighed, still speaking in his curious dialect. "We found that on our way here."

Gaara nodded, then said, also speaking that strange language, "What do you want for him?"

The farmer shrugged. "You can have him. We don't want him. He is human after all," he sneered, then looked at Gaara, as if half-apologizing. "He isn't much good the way he is," he continued.

Gaara nodded, noting now how the formerly skeletal whore had rounded out substantially. Still, Sasuke had a tab to finish paying off and he was bound bent and determined to get it.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was starting to think that this street looked entirely too familiar for his own comfort. He stretched his limbs as best he could, walking around a bit. It felt good to move, because there wasn't much room in the wagon, so he'd been in the same cramped position that he had assumed when they'd started that day's travels.

He yawned and stretched some more, then turned about, looking around. And his heart skipped a beat, and sunk in terrible realization.

He knew exactly where he was now. Gaara stared at him with wide green eyes and he could only stare back, shock making him feel numb all over. He was back here, they were going to, oh god, no. . .

Well, at least he could get his scarf back. Maybe.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Neji returned to the shoddy little apartment on Fourth Street that he co-rented with Gaara, his business partner. He had gone and made the rounds today and collected the fees that were due, while Gaara stayed behind and waited for the 'shipment'. Gaara was the only one who could talk to their suppliers.

Yes, he and Gaara made a healthy living off the other humans in the area, because they'd been smart enough not to be the victims, but the predators. They were drug-dealers, and they did a damn fine business.

He walked into the apartment, and the first thing he noticed, was that all the lights had been dimmed and put out. He was on the alert immediately. Was this a trap? He was lucky that the last time the Special Forces - damn kitsune-jins - had been in, they hadn't seemed to notice anything else, except their prize.

Maybe they'd been tailing them for a while now? Had they gotten Gaara?

No, there was the green-eyed bastard sitting in the kitchen, head bowed, some sinister smirk scribbled all over his features. Neji glared at him and turned on one of the lights.

"What the hell are you doing here, sitting in the dark?"

The other human just kept smirking. "I. . .was going for a dramatic effect," he said, laughing a little.

Neji was on edge. Gaara did not laugh, he did not smirk. Was this some sort of trick? Could the Special Forces' officers transform, or use a corpse as a puppet, or something?

Gaara looked him in the eye, and the look was that of a psychotic homicidal freak. "Why don't you take a look in the bedroom?" he asked, his face nearly splitting in two as the maniac grin grew in size.

Neji backed away nervously and nodded, fleeing to the relative safety of the bedroom. He shut the door, locking it against Gaara, who, he was afraid, had lost his mind and was on the verge of another bloody killing spree.

He turned around, hearing something in the room move. He stared blankly, and blinked several times in disbelief. There was that Uchiha whore, sitting on the bed in front of him, wrapped in nothing more than a flimsy sheet.

He stared. Since when had Sasuke been back in Konoha? Last he'd heard, through the grapevine was that he'd been sold to some kitsune-jin in Suna.

The other human blushed and tried to hide, though it really was too late for that, because Neji had already seen him. The white-eyed boy's eyes darted about the room, and he noticed the shreds of clothing scattered all over the room.

"Gaara!" he called, through the door. "What the hell did you do to him?!"

The green-eyed boy, replied very calmly from the other side of the door, "Nothing much."

Neji shuddered at the smoothness of his psychotic business partner's voice, and wondered how he'd managed to get so close to the door without him hearing. The floorboards squeaked and groaned with ever step he took.

Gaara had more to say, because he kept talking. "I wouldn't do much to him. Do you know how much he's worth? That Suna bastard paid a lot of fucking money for him."

Neji stayed silent.

"I heard that the prince wants him back. He's willing to pay twice the money that Suna bastard did, to get him back. Do you know how much money that is?"

Neji said nothing, but he looked at Sasuke, scrutinising the boy. He could not, no matter how hard he tried, put a price tag on him.

Gaara laughed, a bit more of that chortling psychotic sound he'd made in the kitchen. "He's worth twice sixty thousand to the prince. Twice sixty thousand!"

Neji stared. "Twice...sixty thousand?" he mumbled, unable to believe that such a thing drove such a price.

Gaara chuckled some more. "And do you know why he's driving that price? Do you?"

Neji shook his head, though he knew Gaara couldn't see.

"He's pregnant," Gaara said with a dry laugh.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The night was crisp and bitter, like the winter always should be. The stars hung low in the sky, bright and vivid. His breath rose into the air, and he watched it, because it was like a column of smoke rising from him.

He was on duty, for the first time in a month or so. It felt good, at least to him, even in the burning cold, to be running through the snow in the night, like he used to, before all of this began.

It felt so good to do this again. He was on the hunt, he was on the prowl. The world had better watch out, because Uzumaki Naruto was back on the job, rounding up the perpetrators of crimes again.

It seemed like something out of an action novel, or something.

He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, sending up snow crystals when he landed, when he took off, and they glittered behind him, like a trail of crushed starlight.

He came to a rather abrupt halt, just on the corner of Fourth Street, nearly sending himself from the building he was sitting upon right then and there. Someone was standing down there, looking up at the night sky. No, looking up at him. Green eyes stared at him angrily, as if they'd been waiting for him.

Silently, like a shadow, he leapt from the building, landing in the snow with practised ease. He got up from his crouched position, and looked at the green-eyed creature before him.

He was a human, no doubt, with flaming red hair and green eyes that burnt into his soul and mind. He nearly shuddered, because the human's demeanour was colder than the winter's night they were standing in.

They said nothing for a moment or two, and then, the shorter said, quietly, "Good of you to come, Uzumaki Naruto."

The blond kitsune-jin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded. He jumped straight to the point. He wasn't about to play games with this one.

The human closed his eyes and chuckled lightly. "I'm Gaara, not that it will matter much to you. But for now, I'd like to bargain with you. I have something that you want."

Naruto's eyes narrowed even more, becoming dangerous slits. "What could you possibly have that I want?" he snorted.

Gaara smirked, and that expression was as icy as the wind. "Ah, I have a certain human, my dear prince. One that you wish to pay twice sixty thousand for."

Naruto's eyes widened in horror, and hope. "You mean?" he breathed, feeling choked as the winter air bore down on him.

Gaara lifted his gaze and motioned, to someone, something. Naruto turned himself about, positioning his body so that he was half-way between the newcomer and Gaara, should either of them decide to attack.

Blank white eyes, so similar to Hinata's, stared out of the darkness at him, and dark eyes he knew so well averted their gaze and melded with the shadows.

"Sasuke," he whispered, as if afraid this was an illusion and to call him by name would shatter it.

Gaara's voice cut through the nighttime air, murmuring, "Hyuuga Neji and I are business partners. And this little beauty owes us a wager of ten thousand."

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion, searching Sasuke's face for the answers, which never readily came. He could see shame and embarrassment there, but not much more. A cold hand was laid upon his shoulder and he looked at Gaara, who was still smirking.

"He owes us ten thousand," the human boy repeated. "He owes us ten thousand for the drugs."

Naruto blanched. "You're. . .drug dealers," he hissed, turning a bit to look Gaara in the eye.

The red-head smirked and nodded. "That's right."

Gaara brushed by him, joining Neji and Sasuke. Naruto growled when the red-head placed a hand on Sasuke's face, pulling the boy's chin up, making him look at him. "We were going to have him work off his debt, but as you can see, nobody would want him now."

He patted Sasuke's swollen stomach, with a dry laugh. Sasuke blushed and looked away violently. Gaara looked back at the prince. "Nobody would pay for this one now, except you, prince."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What are you driving at?" he snarled.

Gaara was walking back his way now. "Here's the deal, kitsune-jin," he sneered. "We give you the whore, you give us the money and we disappear into the darkness."

"I should have you arrested for selling illegal substances!" Naruto hollered, jabbing an accusing finger in the direction of the two.

Gaara held up his hands in an act of innocence. "By all means, prince, do just that. But..."

He made a quick hand motion and Neji pulled a knife, pressing it against Sasuke's throat. The human made a soft noise of discomfort, but otherwise, stayed still.

"By the time you call your little Special Forces' friends, we can have him dead and be gone."

Gaara took a step forward. "Isn't it just simpler to give us the money? Then we can all go back to our happy, meaningless little lives."

Naruto didn't look at him. He grit his teeth and looked at the ground, as if the snow held the answers.

"Fine," he said at last.

Gaara grinned. "I knew you'd see it our way."

Neji put the knife away, and turned, leading Sasuke away. Gaara turned about also, saying, "Have the money for tomorrow, ten o'clock sharp. If you don't, then the whore gets it, ah?"

Naruto stood there, in the snow for a moment, dumbfounded, then coming back to himself, dashed ahead, yelling, "Hey! Wait! Where will you be?"

Gaara grinned. "Oh, I'm not giving you an address. You're a kitsune-jin, right? You figure that out."

He kept walking, leaving Naruto puzzled and confused.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naruto was pacing his room, thinking. Sakura, whom he had woken when he'd returned home, was watching him, her eyes angry with righteous anger. Who wouldn't be pissed off if they were woken at two a.m. by their husband, who proceeded to pace the floor, and think, trying to figure out how he was supposed to get his pregnant bed slave back?

"Think like a fox," he grumbled, and Sakura's eyes followed him as he went.

Yume yipped, not liking to be kept up any more than Sakura, apparently. Naruto looked at the fox kit, then grinned widely and dove onto the bed, picking her up. "Yume!" he cheered.

The fox started and bit him, jumping clear as he threw her in surprise and shock. Sakura rolled her eyes and finally spoke. "Naruto, just go to bed and get some sleep. Who cares if he dies? It's just another human being to go to the graveyard."

She crossed her arms and blew a stray bang out of her eyes. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her. "He's not just another human being! He's the mother of my child!"

Sakura looked pointedly at the ceiling, muttering, "Whatever. It's not like you can't have more."

Naruto flopped back onto the bed, mind still reeling. He did not need any distractions right now. "Think like a fox," he muttered again. "What can a fox do that a human can't do?"

Sakura smacked him over the head with her fist. "Duh! There are plenty of things that a fox can do that a human can't! Like, for instance, tracking. A fox can track its prey using scent -"

Naruto sat up bolt right. "Sakura!" he exclaimed, grabbing the girl into an embrace. "You're a genius!"

She blinked, then pushed him away, saying, "Why do you say that, stupid? And don't touch me."

Naruto grinned, having figured his little puzzle out. "A fox can track it's prey using the power of scent. Being kitsune-jin, we have a more powerful sense of smell, so we can pick up an idividual scent better. I'm supposed to sniff them out."

Sakura looked at him skeptically, then turned away, hunkering down in the blankets.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was nearly nine o'clock, and Naruto was hot on the trail. The scent, he'd picked it up from their meeting place last night, and though, the footprints were too jumbled to follow, he had the scent clear in his mind.

With every step he took, it got heavier, strong. Gaara smelled like glacier water, something pure and clean, and almost tasteless. Neji smelt like an odd mixture of honey and rain. And Sasuke, though he usually smelt absolutely delicious, smelt like sweat, sex and sand.

It was easy enough to track, because the sand was so out of place. Sure, Konoha's slums smelt of sex and sweat, drugs and dirt, but the sand was just so different. The sand was so weird.

He looked up at the building, then started up the stairs, inside it, down a hallway. He paused outside each apartment, waiting for the scent to be overbearing. His fist tightened over the handle of the small sack he was carrying, the money sachet.

He paused, the looked at the door he was standing outside of. He knocked on it, unsure now, if he had got the clue right, because, this might have been the wrong apartment, this may not even be the right place, and it was already too late to go and start over again. He'd never find them in five minutes.

The door had no markings on it, aside from the lopsided brass 'three' on it. It pulled back and he looked down at Gaara, who smirked and gestured for him to come in.

The place was shoddy, and ill kempt. There was a rotting sofa, with the springs and stuffing sticking out of it, and garbage littered all about the room, and little packets of drugs, all ready to be shipped off to the paying customers.

And in that dark hole of decaying stuff, there was something beautiful, sprawled lazily across the sofa, looking worse for wear, and tired, and uncomfortable. He looked like he'd been gone for years, and Naruto felt as if he had been. They'd been apart for too long.

Absently, he put the money in the red-head human's hands, then walked over to the sofa, ready to claim his prize. Dark eyes looked up at him, and in a small, under-used voice, the human boy asked, "Why?"

Naruto licked his dry lips and tried to find something to say, but the words would not come. If this were one of the ten-cent romance novels the apothecary sold, he would have said, confidently, "Because I love you," and swept Sasuke away from this place.

But this wasn't so he didn't say that, but said, softly, "Let's go."

He took Sasuke by the hand and led him away from there, with no sweeping exits or anything of the sort. They just walked, like normal people did.

And though he couldn't say it with words, the time would come when he could, so for now, he entwined his hand with Sasuke's and gave that pale hand a good squeeze, indicating all the feelings that were running rampant in his heart right then.

And he noticed, from the corner of his eye, that Sasuke had scrubbed the back of his arm across his face viciously, but hadn't gotten rid of the tears streaming down his face.

The blond hugged him, held him, petted him and stroked him, like he'd wanted to for so long, since he'd left, and the poor human, he hugged back, and sobbed into Naruto's shirt, curling his fingers tightly about the fabric.

There was no admission of emotion from either of them, for they understood without words what they felt. Naruto's hand passed over the human's stomach, and he felt pride swelling in his chest, pride that this beautiful, brilliant creature, this human boy that he loved could do him the great honour of bearing his children.

And though people stared, and pointed, and mocked and were angry, Naruto did not care, because in the end, this was all that mattered.

In the end, the wild divisions of Konoha - the kitsune-jins, the humans, the rich, the poor, the uptight, the criminals - were conquered.

In the end, everything worked out right.

OWARII


	13. Epilogue

(A/N: Wah...thanks for over 130 reviews...and with overwhelming votes for an epilogue, here it is.

Psychotic Azn: That's the end indeed. I make no promises for a sequel, as I'm horrible for writing them. Here's an epilogue, though.

Naruto Otaku: Here's the epilogue and don't kill me, please! If you plan to make good on your offer there (over 500 sasunaru pics! Fwah!): 

KageKitsune16: Yes. . .that's the end, but for the sake of keeping the other reviewers happy, here's an epilogue.

Kurisuteru-chan: I always find that mpreg fics go downhill from the time the baby's born to whenever they decide to end. I ended mine before it even got to that stage, but here's the epilogue, dipping into that "and after the baby. . ." I hope I didn't kill the story!

Chiikara: 1. I agree. I just hop-skip-jumped over that. Bad, bad me. I know these things. 2. Here's an epilogue; don't explode. And. . .do you want the baby to have a name? 3. The child borne by Sasuke would be Naruto's successor. Since Naruto is actually married to Sakura, she assumes the title of queen, while Sasuke gets dismissed altogether. 4. Lots of novels end with inconclusive lines like "in the end, everything worked out". It closes the story, but leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions. For example: "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "Gone With the Wind", "Rebecca", "1984", "Fifth Business", "Wuthering Heights" and "Little Women" (I think) end on a rather inconclusive note, just as I did there. It's supposed to make you crave more, and feel a little unsatisfied, yet feel closure at the same time. I guess I didn't quite get that closure across. I'll try to work on that a bit!

Baka possessed Neko: Sensei? Eek. . .I don't think I'm old enough to be a teacher. . .or a doctor. . .or even a manga-ka. . .3 No sequel, as I stink at sequels, but here's an epilogue for you!

Nivell: Tie up loose ends? Eh heh heh heh. . .that's what the epilogue's for? I dunno if this ties up any loose ends, but it is an epilogue. . .I think.

Riddle: Itachi's baby? I never really decided what happened. I suppose. . .it lived. And was a girl. Just to put a spoke in Orochimaru and Itachi's wheels, so to speak. Here's the epilogue!

Malitia: Well, there's no Sakura dying. . .but there is Sasuke having a nice life in the epilogue! . . .Kinda. If you have any questions, leave a review with your e-mail and I'll get back to you asap.

kyon: Er. . .I don't write labour scenes well. And Sakura. . .is just there. Here's an epilogue, not that it explains anything.

Melrose Stormhaven: I'm glad you enjoyed the ending!

Suna no Gaara: You're one of the few who were satisfied with that ending. And here's the epilogue, by popular demand.

Mistress Ethereal: I'm glad you enjoyed the ending, Itachi and Orochimaru's baby lived (happily ever after, no, not really. . .) And here's an epilogue for you all to enjoy!

inu-chan 613: I'm glad you enjoyed the story!

Yuen-chan: I'm glad you thought the ending was fitting/completing to the story. No, there will be no sequels, as I suck at them, and I'm too lazy to be bothered with writing one. Here's an epilogue though!

And now, on with the fic!)

Epilogue

The sun rose hot, and vivid over Konoha, its lively orange tones chasing away the melancholy colours of the night. The first sunbeams of the dawn peeked, pinkish and timid, into the chambers of one sleeping and prince and then, braver, crawled all across the floor, the walls, eating up the darkness and the shadows that lingered there. But the sunrise was not what woke Uzumaki Naruto.

The first few calling birds began to chirp, outside the open window, and the stifling summer breeze drifted into the room, rustling the curtains and waking Yume, who stirred beside her master, her fur standing on end. She sneezed, and curled her tail about her nose. But those noises were not what woke Uzumaki Naruto.

Those were peaceful noises, and what woke Naruto was not, by any means, a peaceful noise. The birds were startled out of their trees and they took to the sunlit sky, and Yume, startled beyond her wits, leapt under the covers and cowered. Naruto himself was drawn out of his slumber and he sat up, suddenly and proceeded to fall out of bed with a solid 'thump'. On the floor, he proceeded to yawn and rub his eyes.

Grumbling about hating to be woken this way, he stood up, and stretched, rather liberally, yawning again. Subconsciously, he scratched his lower back and glanced at the bed. His wife, Sakura was still sound asleep, apparently not as tuned into the sound as he was.

Blearily, he stumbled to the door of the room, and opened and shut it quietly, walking out into the hall. He walked, half-conscious, down the cold stone floor, stifling a yawn, and greeting the occasional far-too-chipper-for-this-time-of-morning servant with a stiff nod. He practically walked into Hinata, not noticing her there. She was ever small, even in presence.

They hesitated for a moment, before saying anything. Naruto forced a grin, and Hinata smiled, wavering, and stuttered, "G-g-ood morning, Uzumaki-sama."

He nodded to her in return, and went on his way, not knowing really what else to do or to say. Things had been awkward between them ever since he'd broken off their adulterous escapades. She had addressed him by his surname since that day, not his first name, and he had never bothered to correct her. It made him wince internally, however, to hear her call him that, for it seemed so detached and cold, when once they'd been so warm to each other. . .

He continued to walk down the hall, shaking sleep, and Hinata, from his thoughts as he went. He stopped just outside one of the doors on his right - the opposite side of the hall from his own chambers, near the eastern staircase at the end of the hall - but, to the casual eye, nobody could tell what was so special about this particular door that it deserved such scrutiny from an Uzumaki prince up at five-thirty in the morning.

Naruto, however, knew that this was a very special room, a room which his entire future, and his most precious treasures were hidden here, away from the rest of the prying world. Only a select few people were allowed to enter the room: Tsunade, Naruto's grandmother, Naruto's father, the Yondaime of Konoha, Jiraiya, Naruto's grandfather, Hinata, the head maid of the household, Sakura, Naruto's supposed wife, and the doctor of the family. Everyone else was locked out of that most important room.

And that was where the terrible sound that had woken Naruto up was emanating from. It was the same sound that had woken him up at about the same time for the past three days. It was a terrible noise, very loud and disruptive, and it unsettled Naruto and troubled him to no end when he heard it, even though he knew that it would soon be stopped and put to rest. He knocked on the door, respecting the privacy of those withing, but there was no reply, except that terrible cry that rang out and made him want to shut his ears to the world.

The noise was dying down a bit, and when he opened the door, he was presented with a rather. . .interesting sight, to say the very least about it. He felt a smirk tug at the corner of his lips, and he fought to keep himself in check.

Sasuke glanced up from the rocking chair, where he was perched, started, and then, like a storm cloud, a look of absolute rage and embarrassment flooded his pale face, and he tugged up what he could of the material pooled below his chest, shrieking, "Naruto!"

The blond chuckled at the other boy's reaction, and shut the door behind him. "You're so . . ."

Sasuke gave him a dark glare, defensively holding the material of both his shirt and the baby blanket draped over his shoulder up over his exposed skin. He broke off his glare, rather suddenly, looking at the tiny infant he was holding with only one arm, rather precariously. Maternal instincts took over, making Naruto laugh, because Sasuke completely forgot to be embarrassed, and dropped the material, getting a safer hold on his first-born baby.

The infant, who's crying had woken Naruto some moments before, was now curled happily into his 'mother''s chest, suckling enthusiastically at 'breakfast'. Naruto could almost swear his baby was smiling, the little devil, probably enjoying the 'privilege' Sasuke denied everyone else, including Naruto - latching onto, and consequently groping, Sasuke's supple chest. Naruto could quite clearly remember the fit Sasuke had upon discovering his body had covered all areas of making him a mother.

He crossed the floor of the nursery, going to stand behind the slightly older human, because, as he'd managed to discover within the first week of the baby's birth, Sasuke tended to try and abandon nursing, being entirely uncomfortable with the notion. Somebody generally had to goad him into it, and that was usually Naruto, because he seemed to be the only one Sasuke could stand to be in the room while he was doing something like that.

He ran a hand through Sasuke's thick, tousled locks, stifling another yawn. "How 're ya feelin'?" he asked lazily, stroking those ebony locks, brushing them back from Sasuke's pretty face.

"The usual," Sasuke replied, rather crankily. "Sore, tired, fat, ugly."

Naruto sighed, rather heavily. "Sasuke," he chided, but went no farther with his statement. He didn't want to start an argument, because that scared the baby, and made Sasuke upset.

The dark-haired boy didn't reply to him. Naruto looked, bored, at the floorboards. Sasuke had quickly descended into self-degradation after the baby had been born, some three weeks ago. He'd been incredibly sulky, and had even gone so far as to say Naruto didn't care about him any more.

Naruto had tried to reason with him at that point, saying that if he didn't care, he wouldn't have paid Gaara and Neji all that money, and let them get off scot-free like he did. Sasuke had, pessimistically, pointed out that he'd been with child at that point, and that child was probably what Naruto was more concerned about.

Naruto had given up reason at that point, and tried to prove that he still loved his Uchiha pet, but his actions had been a serious mistake. He'd attempted to take the human boy to bed with him, which had ended up with Sasuke in tears, and a rather messy situation concerning the bed sheets turning rather red.

As it turned out, though Sasuke had made a rather fast physical recover, despite the hard labour he'd had, in the area of walking and being mobile, but he wasn't completely healed, and the subsequent visit with the physician had told them it would still be a good three or four weeks, maybe more, before Sasuke was physically ready for that kind of thing. Emotionally, it seemed like it was going to take a lot longer than that.

As he'd been thinking, Naruto's hand had been creeping steadily downward, toward Sasuke's exposed skin. It was incredibly irritating to have something like that flaunted in his face and not be allowed to touch it. The action was entirely calculated, and the only point when Sasuke noticed what Naruto was doing was when Naruto actually had a hold of the fleshy mound, and was rubbing his thumb about the other boy's nipple. Sasuke jumped, nearly dropping the baby, and shouted, "Naruto!", then slapped the perverted kitsune-jin's hand away from him.

The baby let go of his teat and started to cry, loudly. Naruto's attention was diverted immediately to the infant, but Sasuke glared at the kitsune-jin prince, and let the child in his arms cry.

"Sasuke," Naruto chided, a little more dangerously, indicating that the Uchiha needed to look after the baby right then, instead of nursing his own anger.

The dark-haired boy sighed, rather heavily, and cuddled the child closer to him, disdain evident in his actions. Naruto sighed and put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. "I don't see why you're so uptight about this," he mumbled, rubbing light circles on the boy's tense muscles. "It should be natural."

"It's not natural," Sasuke growled, and from his tone, Naruto understood perfectly what Sasuke meant.

It was not natural for boys to get pregnant, or to have children in that fashion, or whatever else went along with it, but he felt, deep in his soul, that it didn't really matter, because right then, they had a baby that was entirely dependant on them for his vitality. They could worry about the wrong and right of it later.

Sasuke was rocking the baby back and forth now, humming lightly to himself, as if he didn't realize he was doing it. The wailing child began to calm down, cooing gently and happily. Naruto relaxed. Sasuke sighed, audibly. "I don't know, Naruto. . .I. . .I just. . ."

Naruto petted the other boy's head lovingly. "You what?" he murmured gently, to emphasize the fact he was paying attention.

"I just want it to be. . .just us. . ," he murmured, trailing off, looking down at the baby. "I feel. . .like the baby's. . .come between us."

"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto purred, pouring sympathy into his words.

Sasuke leaned back in the rocking chair, and looked up at him, his eyes full of melancholy and regret. "Sometimes," he murmured. "Sometimes. . .I wish we didn't have the baby, at all."

"Don't say that!" Naruto cried, looking at his 'mate' in sheer terror. "A baby's a blessing! The gods have looked on us as -"

He paused, noting Sasuke wasn't really listening anymore, just staring off into space. The baby squirmed in the older boy's arms, as if restless or uncomfortable. Sasuke heaved another sigh and started rocking back and forth again, easing their baby boy into an easier position. The baby cooed happily.

Sasuke put his head down, and then, his shoulders started shaking. "Hey," Naruto said, then placed a hand, gently, but firmly on the other's shoulder. "No need to cry. . ."

Sasuke gave a little sniffle, then got up rather abruptly and deposited the baby into the crib, surprisingly, careful not to wake him. He walked about the rocking chair, which was still swinging absently, and curled himself into Naruto, wrapping his arms about the other boy, and sobbing, muffled, into the kitsune-jin's chest. Naruto was, to say the very least, shocked, but he overcame that quickly and responded correctly, by wrapping his arms about the sobbing thing in his arms. They stood like that for a long, long time.

And time went on, through eternity, with the seasons changing, and the years going by faster than the flight of a bird, and then, one day, they ceased to be, but time went on, and on and on, until one day, someone in a small, dusty classroom, a small child perhaps, looked down upon their names in an ancient textbook, watching the yellowed pages curl up, and then, he looked outside the window, and saw the blue sky, and the green grass of summer, and he wondered if vibrant colours like that existed in that distant past on that page, because to him, it just seemed to be rendered in brown and dust tones, like coffee stains and sunbeams and the old pages of his worn textbook.

And who could say for sure whether such colours had really existed in that old, old world that far back, for the people who could have contested so were long in their graves and the dead do not speak, nor do they wake, and the only tale they tell is on their headstones.

And when Sasuke finally looked up at Naruto, it seemed like that eternity had really passed between them, and suddenly, struck with the will to live and a fear of their own mortality, they clutched at each other, scared to lose their precious person. And at that moment, Sasuke's worries were resolved, as the kitsune-jin looked down at him and they brushed their lips together, with nothing more than a sense of forever and togetherness, and with no underlaying promise of more, that had always driven their kisses before.

And that, is where this writer shall lay down her pen, for writing anything more of these two lovers seems a crime, and she shall leave them be, to live out what remains of their days beyond these pages. Someday, when these pages are yellowed and the ink not quite so blue anymore, perhaps, someone will look upon these words of testimony and then, they shall see how a romance can truly end with happily ever after. 


End file.
